


Keeper. Spirit of the beast.

by K1tsun3



Category: Overlord - Maruyama Kugane & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Affection, Anthropology, Cruelty, Death, Dungeons & Dragons References, Family Dynamics, Fantasy, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sex, Investigations, Leadership, Love, Magic and Science, New World (Overlord - Maruyama Kugane), Original Character(s), Personal Growth, Philosophy, Politics, Questioning, Self-Discovery, Side Story, Slavery, Some Humor, Torture, War, Xenophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 39,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26562235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K1tsun3/pseuds/K1tsun3
Summary: In the amazing game of YGGDRASIL, any kind of person could pursue his wishes in a vast fantasy world. The newbies, the regulars, the hardcore, all of them took part in this adventure. But when it came to the end, who remained there to say goodbye to this amazing world players could only dream about a mere hundred years ago? For someone, it wasn't just a hobby. Not just a game. But a passion, a history, their journey alongside others. Such people could not leave until the very end. Some of them were there only to discover that the end of the game became the start of a new journey.
Relationships: Gudred Honeybrook/Helga Honeybrook (married), Helios Silverwing/Luna Silverwing (married), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. End is a wild Night and a new Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming here. I hope you'll enjoy the story even though the canon characters might not appear in this side story at all. I would be really glad to get your feedback if you enjoyed or disliked the chapter. I want to improve and this work takes a lot of time and effort, your words might help me with both. Thank you again. Have a nice time with the story and a nice day.

****

**Prologue**

The battered body felt sore, and even a slight movement brought a wave of blinding pain, causing numb muscles to spasm. The tattered clothing did almost nothing against the freezing cold of the night. 

She leaned her head against the bars of her cage and coughed. The cold of metal brought a hint of relief to her burning bruised face. She shivered and winced.

She could see people drinking and laughing around the campfire.

Celebrating their victory. Cursed scum.

The hatred rose again in her heart, burning her intestines. She gritted her teeth. A will to fight wasn’t gone. It was raging. But the body wouldn’t listen.

Worthless. Pathetic. Ugly ass bastards.

Invading her homeland, taking her brothers and sister away. Now she was a captive. Away from her home, away from her beloved.

And she knew what they were planning to do. If they were to kill her, it would happen in the fight. No. They were much worse than that.

Filth. Trash. 

She took several deep breaths and tried to move her stiff body around a little. But her hands and feet were tied together tightly so she couldn’t do anything. Yeah, they knew she could tear them apart with her bare hands and teeth for lack of a better option.

She heard steps nearby and turned her head to see one of those pesky humans walking to the cages. The door opened, and one of her sisters screamed as his filthy hands grabbed her as if she was a caught fish in a cart and started dragging her out.

Oh, she knew exactly what was about to happen. The one he grabbed was not a warrior, too young. Easy prey for the vermin.

She growled and forced her body forward, ignoring the pain. She tried to aim her forehead to hit his vertex but was too dizzy and weak. He got out of the way, and she dropped down on the wooden floor with an audible thud.

“You again! Haven’t had enough?!” 

She moaned in pain through the gag in her mouth. The world made several spins around her, and she was about to puke.

Rough hands clung her arm and pulled with no mercy. She hit her head on the bars on the way out and tumbled out of the cage. She was barely hanging to her consciousness. The smell of grass and dirt hit her. A surge of pain pierced her back. And again. 

“You piece of shit should know your place!”

The pain was immense, but it cleared up her mind. She desperately glanced around in search of anything that could help her fight back.

The beating stopped. A hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. Tears unwillingly ran over her cheeks. 

“That’s more like it.”

The foul stench of human’s breath hit her face. Next moment her head was pinned to the ground exploding with pain. She frantically gasped for the air trying to regain senses. She couldn’t give up. She would never subdue to these scums.

“Hey, boys! I guess we’ll have to double the fun! Any objections?”

Her fingers touched something. She instinctually grabbed it. Even in this state, she was willing to kill them. There were no options. Humans had to die.

“Admirable. But what are you hoping to accomplish with a stone?”

She felt like the world around her shifted. She heard a voice. A voice was coming from everywhere and nowhere as the other sounds faded away.

Telepathy? She froze and tried to spot anything that could be the source. 

The voice was so pleasant, so sweet and welcoming. Bewitching. Yet its tone made her instinctively push the saliva and blood in her mouth down the throat.

She wasn’t an imbecile. Though humans were atrocious, there were creatures much worse. And those who had powers were the worst.

“What are you? A demon?”

“Maybe. Does it matter?”

The voice wasn’t laughing or taunting. It was calm and confident. If anything, the creature seemed… curious? 

Someone ripped the stone from her grasp along with fingernails. She felt humans tearing off the remains of her clothes. The girl she was trying to save was whining and crying by her side.

But she felt like she was pulled out of her body, somewhere between life and death. And she could swear she saw a blurry silhouette in the corner of her vision, shifting behind the humans’ figures—a slipping visage of something she couldn’t comprehend.

The only thing she was able to focus on were the eyes. Cold blue eyes pierced her being with an indifferent gaze. They carried no evil or good intent.

“There’s no point in fooling around. I’ll strike you a deal. Your life for a wish.”

The course of time seemed to come to a halt. She felt the heat leaving her body. Somehow, she felt this creature’s power. It could grant her wish. 

“Can you free my people?”

“One wish.”

She gritted her teeth against each other. The crimson flower of rage bloomed inside her once again. They can make it. The only problem is…

“Kill them… Kill the humans! Kill them! Kill them!”

She realized that she was screaming those words at the top of her lungs. The gag was gone. A human in front of her was grinning at her with his disgusting, putrid face.

“Dumb bitch won’t shut it, eh?”

“Well, stuff her alrea…!”

The words were cut off with the familiar to her whizz of arrows. Elven arrows. Arrows of her fellow warriors. 

But it did not warm her heart. She went cold as the silence took over the campsite.

Every. Single. Human. Was. Dead.

The girl next to her was laying on the ground under a dead body. Her eyes were wide with terror. Did she feel it too?

In an instant, the darkness enveloped her. The cold gave way to warmth. The pain dissipated. She felt so calm and relieved like never before in her life. Is it death? That’s the end?

The eyes. Blue and cold as ice. They were right in front of her again.

“Now. To your end of the bargain…” 

**Chapter 1 “End is a wild Night and a new Road”**

“…So. With that said, in the year 2126, we were able to deliver previously unimaginable video game experience. Once, the whole genre of DMMO-RPG was more of a gimmick as the first VR projects a hundred years ago. And with all the new technologies, advanced programming, AI deep learning protocols, and powerful hardware, our company took the DMMO-RPG genre to a whole new level. The level of YGGDRASIL.

We accomplished our mission of delivering the experience of YGGDRASIL to most players worldwide by optimizing it for existing nano-interfaces the best way we could. This project is absolutely massive and incomparable to any previous attempts to transfer semi-3D open worlds to the DIVE platform. More than eight hundred engineers, programmers, visual artists, actors, and consulting specialists took part in this exciting, colossal work.

We promised – we delivered. Till this day, twelve years later, YGGDRASIL is praised by players worldwide. I probably shouldn’t tell you that, because you all saw the earnings charts and community reports I presented at the beginning. Through all these years, YGGDRASIL made a significant contribution to our finances, despite it being a free-to-play game. This fact alone shows how much support our developers are getting from the players. We painstakingly crafted and cherished the game throughout its lifespan thanks to our dedicated and loyal fan base. I wanted to stress that YGGDRASIL's success came from everyone who participated in our project, including our fantastic players. Without them, this could never happen.

Now, before I get to the next part of my presentation, I’d like to invite our lead developer to the stage, Nakagawa Yuu-san!”

“Thank you, Koga-san! Hello everyone! So, I’m here to give you a solid understanding of what we’ve achieved with YGGDRASIL. Usually, I love to get into details and talk for hours about the game. But for today’s event, Koga-san asked me to keep things brief and specific. So, yeah, let’s do this!

First of all, the world of YGGDRASIL. Based on Norse mythology, it contains nine main realms that make up roughly 95% of the playable space. On the screen, you can see one of my favorite realms of YGGDRASIL – Alvheim. Those tiny dots you may notice are silhouettes that represent the average-sized player character. If we would translate it to real-world numbers, the total playable area of YGGDRASIL would be around 63 000 square kilometers. Yes, YGGDRASIL is a virtual world 1.4 times bigger than Kyushu and a 4/5 of the size of Hokkaido.

The next stop is our incredible character customization system. Starting with approximately 700 races available to players, about 2000 job classes, and, after five expansions, a 100-level cap. To put things into perspective, here’s the number of possible combinations [over 10 billion]. We wanted to provide an experience where every player could achieve his personal dream of being anyone or anything he wanted. And to an extent, I’d say we did it. At least better than anyone else to date.

The ability system of YGGDRASIL is the thing that I, as the lead developer, am genuinely proud of. The magic system alone contains a little over 6000 spells, excluding the various levels of upgradeable spells. The regular skill tree that directly depends on the race-class combination is even more significant. The number of possible combinations of skills and spells one player can possess numbers in tens of trillions.

The itemization system! Oh, don’t get me started. There are easily over 30 billion possible combinations of magical affixes, materials, and crafting approaches. Not to mention our open visual editing system, which provided a whole new frontier for players’ creativity and brought an incalculable diversity to the game. Well, to be honest, we could calculate it… and we did. Here’s the number of unique custom items players of YGGDRASIL have created on their own. Quite impressive, right? 

All of the above allowed our players to progress as truly unique characters in a vast open world. If we would take only one aspect of the game, like, say, world championship, some race-class combinations performed exceptionally or, in some cases, ridiculously good, others not so well. But. That doesn’t imply that those classes that did not shine in battles were irrelevant. We are proud that we succeeded in making it possible to play YGGDRASIL the way players wanted to. Crafting, exploring, managing, trading, researching, and role-playing or just merely fooling around. It didn’t matter because the game's deep and complex world, in conjunction with our leveling system, welcomed any type of specialization and did not restrain people to a specific playstyle. Quite the opposite, we encouraged trying out different approaches to various content. It just made the world of the game so much more immersive and, frankly speaking, alive.

But wait… there’s more! Heh, right. But seriously, there’s another cherry on top of this pie. And this is a step towards realism most of the titles simply couldn’t achieve due to financial or technical limitations. Our team had the honor to work in close conjunction with the Historical International Martial Arts Society to let real-world martial arts function in virtual space. Of course, YGGDRASIL is a fantasy world, but it’s melee combat system roots firmly in historical reconstruction. Nearly a hundred well-known and respected HIMAS members played an immense role in constructing the movement interpretation and damage systems. And let me tell you, for me as a game designer, this was one of the most confusing but at the same time, exciting and educative part of our job. We could optimize previously clunky drafts of those systems and make some additions we didn’t even know were needed. And this is the best example of something truly hard to represent with a simple number.

Now, I’ll bring all the things I mentioned so far back to the screen. I presume you are getting the overall idea. I didn’t cover the guild system, the PvP system, because they are understandable and comparatively simple. But there’s also our positioning, exploration, and conditioning system, unique to YGGDRASIL. On top of that, all we made sure that players could have the most immersive experience with the world we created in and out of combat. I’m talking about our physics system. Even without those massive parts of the game, we have already entered the realm of astronomical data flow. And with that, my mission is accomplished. Koga-san.”

“Thank you very much, Nakagawa-san. So now you might wonder – how did we manage to do this? How did we manage to deliver this insane amount of content in one package? And most importantly, why, after twelve years of unmatched success, we decided to cancel this phenomenal project. Well. This is the reason we are here today. Twelve years have passed. Things have changed. We started developing YGGDRASIL using the newest, the best technologies. The best we could get in 2126…”

***

A row of large massive chandeliers dimly lit a spacious hall. The hall's overall design seemed crude at first glance, but upon a closer look, it was masterful and magnificent in its way. Anyone familiar with the fantasy genre could instantly identify this style and designs.

A series of bas-reliefs comprised of angular shapes covered the entirety of the walls, ceiling, and even the floor, telling the stumpy folk's legends. They pictured fearsome dragons, mighty golems, mystical forges, unimaginable treasures, and impenetrable underground fortresses. Massive rectangular pillars were separating the spacious foyer. The frames of heavy rounded doors were inlaid with gems and covered with tasteful yet straightforward metal patterns. The flickering light of the wall ever-burning braziers cast slightly shifting shadows, deflecting over metallic surfaces, complementing the majestic image with a veil of mysterious might.

This symphony of stone and metal masterpieces carried the spirit of dwarven craftsmanship.

Massive six-meter tall metal doors of the entering portal that led to the dwarven capital streets were now wide open.

Three figures stood outside the giant door.

The tallest figure among them caught the eyes with a snow-white knee-long sleeveless cape and a bright red scarf. It was a mature man with a slightly wrinkled yet pleasant face, incredibly bright blue eyes, and short wavy white hair. He possessed a slim but well-developed body tightly covered by black traditional Japanese clothing underneath the mantle.

Next to him stood a young woman. Her long red hair was gathered in a ponytail, except for two strands that framed her smooth and sweet face. Her eyes, green as the purest emeralds, contrasted nicely with her honey skin. The delicate features of the woman’s face were both seductive and innocent. Her chiseled body was mostly hidden under the white silk shirt and dark green sleeveless leather vest, dark-brown pants, and thigh-high jackboots. An elegant rapier with magnificent engravings, elaborate crossguard, and a huge deep-red gem on top of the pummel rested in the scabbard on her waist.

“I’m glad that I could meet you one last time before the server shutdown Eizo-san, Aurora-san. I wish our leader were here too, though.”

The one to speak was the last of the three. A dwarf with spiky hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard. Like most of the dwarves, he was stocky and beefy. He looked quite impressive in his matte blue~ish black plate armor. A massive shield was hanging behind his back, complemented by a hefty mace.

Although they spoke, their faces remained still. The freedom of character customization in YGGDRASIL had its limitations. Though it wasn’t a major issue for players considering everything else this game could offer. More of a minor inconvenience.

“I-It was a pleasure! Thank you very much, Gollark-san!”

The shy response came from the astounding beauty standing opposite to him.

“Indeed. You have my deepest gratitude, Gollark-san.”

The man’s voice was gritty and tired. Yet surprisingly clear. He coughed and took a moment to catch his breath.

“All these years of our alliance are a treasure to my heart. I’m happy I met members of Völundr’s Sledgehammer.”

“Though it would be better if Kyarval-san said this, but I believe everyone in our guild had a blast joining forces with Oni-Daasu. Those were some truly great times! You made a great ally. I’m truly grateful for that!”

The dwarf bowed respectfully; his guests followed suit.

“You are one of the best guild officers I’ve met, Gollark-san. I believe Kyarval was happy to have you by his side,” Eizo spoke and coughed again.

“I bet it’s true!” the dwarf chuckled. “But, don’t mention it, it was my pleasure.”

“That is great to hear,” Eizo let out a short laugh and took a moment to glance over the city. Gollark and Aurora unwillingly tracked his gaze, “Well, we’ll head out then. Farewell, my friend. Thanks for having us at your home.”

“Thank you. Please take care,” Aurora spoke cutely. A happy smiley face appeared over her head.

Eizo nodded and turned away.

[Astral Gateway]

In response to Eizo's brief gesture, the space distorted and changed in front of him, taking a half-oval shape. It looked like a liquid glass that distorted and tinted everything behind a light blue. The surface of the portal was waving smoothly like silk fabric.

“Ah! And Eizo-san, please take care of your health!” the dwarf exclaimed, “I’d be happy to meet you in the game like YGGDRASIL if it happens in the future.”

The man casually saluted to Gollark and walked into the portal. Aurora bowed slightly to the dwarf and followed Eizo.

***

Aurora stepped outside the portal onto a spacious tongue-shaped artificial ledge protruding from a mountain cliff. Elegant decorative white stone arches fluidly were fencing it for the exception of the very edge. Numerous thick trunked trees with lush crowns overhung the arches forming a dense hedgerow.

Aurora turned around and saw Eizo standing on the edge in the wide opening between the trees. The loose end of his long red scarf wriggled in the wind like a serpent. She smiled to herself and walked up to him.

A breathtaking view lied below. The Golden Forest of the west Alvheim, covered by two mountain ridges and slotted by the Tumelian river. This was not only one of the most spectacular zones in YGGDRASIL but also a hardly-accessible one. Aurora could easily remember the first time she experienced this view. It happened the same day she joined the guild about six years ago.

There were several reasons guilds gathered for in YGGDRASIL – PvE raiding or PvP mostly, sometimes for crafting, trading, and even social roleplay, a mix of everything. It was all considered adventuring and included exploration to a certain extent. 

Oni-Daasu [a dozen of demons] belonged to the miniscule number of guilds entirely dedicated to discovering secrets and rarities in the game. It was a very niche and risky playstyle since certain information was so valuable to high-level YGGDRASIL players. It could bring immense advantage over other guilds. Most often than not, such guilds couldn’t last long for various reasons, most prominent being greed.

With all that said, Oni-Daasu recruiting was much different than usual. There were no advertisements, guild site, or spam in the general in-game chat. Aurora did not know the entire story behind the guild’s foundation. But she was personally suggested to join after several months of probation by one of its members. She had no idea she was tested at the time. And the reason she even considered the invitation was her affection over her senior. 

In her first year of the game, Aurora belonged to a pretty casual guild as she now understood. MMO genre existed for a long time, and a lot of concepts inevitably carried to YGGDRASIL. But for her, it was a fresh and exciting experience. Yet she never regretted saying goodbye to her initial party as the group of people she joined played a completely different, much more exciting and engaging game.

Oni-Daasu lived of scouting, theory crafting, and experimenting. They made deals and contracts with other guilds trading their discoveries for money, crafting materials, gear, and, most importantly, military power. Some high-end players called them “The elite NPC guild” or “Quest trackers” as a joke. Yet the deals themselves were nothing to joke about. They had a perfect reputation for keeping their word, making worthy trades, and controlling the information share.

Due to Oni-Daasu consolidated roster was formed by fourteen people, guild sustaining costs were laughable. Furthermore, thanks to the rare items they found and crafted, this game mechanic could be ignored entirely. That resulted in a considerable advantage in terms of time and freedom to explore the world of YGGDRASIL. 

She glanced at the man standing to her left. Eizo was the leader of the guild. As far as Aurora knew, he had some kind of medical condition. And it was clear that it was only getting worse. Her guildmates were aware of that as well. Yet he did his best not to worry those around him. 

Eizo was the most active player in the guild. He usually disappeared for a day or two once in two to three months. But other than that, Aurora had a hard time remembering him being offline during the day. And every time she logged in, Eizo was working on some kind of discovery. Even with more and more guild members abandoning the game, Eizo was still searching for new quests, locations, secrets, and puzzles. Not angry or frustrated. He was not looking for new members. As far as Aurora could tell, he remained the same. Maybe just a little bit sadder. But she could tell he was glad to see every single one of them regardless.

For the last year, since the news of the YGGDRASIL finale was released, the players were coming back less and less frequently. It was understandable and frankly expected. 

Twelve years past the YGGDRASIL launch, the vast majority of dedicated year-one players probably became mature and got real-life obligations to fulfill. Those who joined somewhere midway, like Aurora, were significantly behind in terms of endgame progress. The game felt unfair and overwhelming for those who couldn’t find a successful guild to join. Closer to the end, the gap between the old and new players widened even further despite the introduction of “catch up mechanics”. After the final year's announcement came, the only players left in the game were students who fell in love with it too late, the hardcore fans, and sporadic newcomers who were just curious. 

Aurora felt like quitting sometimes. But kept playing as no other game gave her nearly as much as YGGDRASIL. It was her escape from the loneliness and stress of the real world. Also, Eizo always was there for his guildmates. Also, the thought about leaving him alone made her feel guilty. Other members of Oni-Daasu were popping up occasionally for a week or two. But it happened less and less frequently as the time went by until they were the only ones coming online.

She looked over her shoulder. 

There was a massive two-floor building past the open space that used to be an “airstrip” for elven hippogryph riders. The headquarters. Behind it, almost leaning against the body of the mountain, was a forty-meter-tall watchtower.

To the right side of the headquarters were massive eight-meter high gates that led to the Inner Sanctum of the Silverwing Refuge, the vast cave inside the mountain's body. On the left, barely visible through the trees, was a small bridge over the creek running behind the headquarters, and a smaller servant’s house on the other bank. Lastly, there were two rows of elven suspended huts on the mountainside by a total number of nine. Five more huts were set on the Inner Sanctum’s entrance right side, right behind Aurora and Eizo.

Originally the Refuge belonged to high elves of Alvheim. Oni-Daasu decided to keep the original style as it was fitting and felt right for the surrounding area. Elven stonework and architecture, in general, were distinguishable by the absolute absence of acute angles. All the elements of white stone buildings were fluid and pleasing to the eye. Elegant portals and arches, slim pillars, and handrails, adorned with rounded or swirling elements. 

The headquarters had a dome-shaped rooftop with smooth curvature and half-oval dormer windows of the attic looming over the second floor's balcony. The servants’ house had a similar appearance but was comparatively small, making it look cozy and even a bit cute. 

All of the buildings were complemented by gentle blue and yellow lights of magical lanterns and streetlamps. In the daylight, this place looked warm and welcoming as at night, it became mysterious and otherworldly. 

The Silverwing Refuge belonged to Oni-Daasu for almost a decade now. Aurora loved this place. Nothing could hold the candle to that beauty in the grey mess called the real world. At least that was the way she felt about it. 

Eizo sighed dejectedly.

“Eizo-san?” 

“Don’t mind me, Aurora-san.” 

Aurora smiled bitterly to herself. Gladly, characters couldn’t reflect the player’s facial expressions. 

“I wish we could have one more adventure together as a guild.”

“Yes. I feel the same way, Eizo-san.” She looked at the valley below, trying to engrave the fantastic view in her memory. “I wish I could see others again.”

“True. I believe you miss Lumia-san a lot. You two got along very well.”

“Yes. I miss her a lot.”

Occasionally it creeped her out, how Eizo could almost read others' thoughts. But most of the time, it felt easy and comforting to speak to such an understanding person. 

“Come.”

Aurora nodded and followed him. Her gaze unwillingly fixated on Eizo’s back. He had an incredible mind, befitting the leader of a guild like Oni-Daasu. He was also extremely good at melee combat. He passionately practiced his in-game fighting skills and trained others, including her. But considering how much time he spent in YGGDRASIL, the real world was probably very harsh towards him. 

She didn’t like the answers she could think of on the subject of Eizo’s condition. There was a major possibility that this man was disabled. But it made her feel so bad, she buried that thought and never asked anyone from the guild about it. 

They walked past the headquarters. Aurora looked at the top of the watchtower. There was a silhouette of a hooded man with a bow. A custom NPC named Telvie, elf archer, the son of Helios and Luna Silverwing. 

The Silverwing Refuge used to be a passing quest location that held nothing particularly interesting for the players. It was until Eizo and his friends discovered a hidden event trigger. It launched a scripted attack questline on the Refuge. To Aurora’s knowledge, some kind of conflict took place around the Refuge ownership, but eventually, it became the home of Oni-Daasu.

During the event, all of the original residents of the Silverwing Refuge were wiped out. And in the end, the location was rendered vacant for players to occupy for a substantial amount of coin. 

It had a level pool for custom NPC and a fixed space for environment creation as any guild residence. When Aurora joined Oni-Daasu, most parts of the data capacity was already used. But she was not too late to claim some of it for herself. 

The Refuge was meant to be a guild base but was a hidden one. Such player bases were rare and very hard to find. Hence, prestigious. Of course, they could not match the nine great habitable raid instances or capital city grand residences. Still, they were much more flexible than ordinary guild halls that were purchasable in cities, towns, or villages.

They walked over the small stone bridge and turned left to the hedgerow opening that encompassed a beautiful open pavilion. It was a slightly raised round platform edged with arches that supported the dome-shaped roof made of glass and stone ornaments. Bushy tree branches covered the top and the sides of the pavilion so that it couldn’t be seen from outside and most places in the Silverwing Refuge. 

“Open up,” Eizo commanded. 

The branches that covered the pavilion on the outside moved away, revealing the astonishing view over the golden forest touched by reds and purples that spilled over the mountain ridges from the setting sun. She leaned over the rails and stoked her head out. Every time Aurora saw it from the pavilion, her heart skipped a beat. Hearing the creek’s soft rumbling, the leaves’ gentle whisper, looking upon the setting sun over the mountains and the sea of trees down the valley, she felt like crying.

She’s seen it many times, yet today everything looked dearer, as there was an understanding that she saw it all for the last time. Tomorrow she’s going to wake up in her bed, and there would be no way to visit her virtual home anymore. She still had to attend her classes at the university and take a more serious job. Maybe she would finally start caring about her looks again and have someone fall in love with her. The more Aurora thought of it, the more she felt melancholy grasping her heart. 

“Remember that time Crusty-san almost fell off the ledge, and you caught him?” Eizo chuckled behind her. Aurora froze in surprise then burst out laughing. “It was a New Year celebration party, right?”

“Yes!” Aurora tried to catch her breath, but the image of an indignant gnome cursing the world and stomping the ground with his tiny feet was so vivid in her memory, she couldn’t stop laughing. Spirit drinks in YGGDRASIL could not affect players as the real-world alcohol, so players logged in tipsy to party online. 

“He was so salty about the fact that a girl saved him from an embarrassing death…” it wasn’t hard to tell that Eizo was smiling.

“He grumbled at me for months!” Aurora laughed.

“Well, Smile-san would always mock him for that. Even mid-fight.”

“Oh, I just remembered when Rusty-san had to kite the Crimson Reaper because Gachitamago-san forgot to repair his shield.”

Eizo factitiously sighed and placed his palm over his face. Aurora couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s why I insisted on age restriction for recruits. Rusty-san is an amazing player… but his manners… Thankfully he didn’t sabotage the relations with our allies.”

“Usually, he was very friendly and lighthearted.”

“Until the moment someone mentioned his height.” 

Both of them laughed joyfully, but seconds later, Eizo’s laughter grew into severe coughing. Aurora instinctively took a step towards him, but Eizo stopped her with a gesture. 

“It’s ok. I’m alright.” Eizo spoke, still coughing.

Aurora felt terrible, but what could she do for him anyway?

“If you say so, Eizo-san…”

It took Eizo about a minute to catch his breath.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” his voice sounded hoarse and weak. Eizo cleared his throat several times and went silent for a moment. “Tell me, Aurora-san, what is your most treasured memory about Oni-Daasu?”

“The most treasured?” Aurora looked at the hilt of her rapier and smiled, “I guess my first serious raid.”

“Oh, the Fiery Descent? You also got the first crafting material for your sword, right?”

“Yes. The Phoenix feathers. I think it was the first time I felt like nobody was holding my hand, and I’m truly a part of the team.”

“That’s an amazing feeling indeed,” Eizo nodded, “I cannot recall all the details, but I believe you are correct. Lumia-san was so proud of you.”

“Really?” Aurora couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Yes.”

“Then, that’s truly one of the best memories, Eizo-san!”

“I believe so too.”

“Oh… and… I just recalled…” Aurora clapped her hands together and tilted her head a little bit “Gachitamago-san and Tomei-san wedding! It was so beautiful!”

“They had it in real life, too, you know?”

“Yes! Tomei-san showed me the photos! They are such a sweet couple! I couldn’t believe such a thing would happen here. I mean… they met each other in YGGDRASIL and…” Aurora felt her cheeks burning. Her heart was pounding in excitement. She felt ashamed for expressing so much emotion. Yet it was Eizo who was listening, and he paid no heed to such things.

“Yeah,” He chuckled, “I knew them for a long time, and I saw them becoming friends, but I didn’t expect it to grow into marriage. Either way, I’m more than happy for them. They’re good people and deserve happiness. Besides…”

“Hmm?” Aurora tilted her head slightly.

“Just a thought. Imagine a couple in real life remembering each other fighting back to back as a knight in shiny armor and a deadly assassin.”

“Wow…” the girl sighed in awe, “I haven’t thought about it this way. But… I think… I think it’s much more exciting than mundane stories like lucky internet dates or corporative meetings. I envy Tomei-san a little bit now…”

“Is that so…” 

“Oh! I… I… Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not… I’m…” Aurora threw her hands frantically.

“It’s fine. I get what you’re saying. No need to blush,” Eizo spoke gently and nodded. Aurora sighed in confusion. Eizo suddenly turned his head to the right to something she couldn’t see. A call probably, she guessed, “I’m… Excuse me, Aurora-san, I need ten or so minutes…”

“There’s no need to apologize, Eizo-san,” she replied hastily. The man nodded and turned to the side, facing his UI.

Some people integrated messengers into the game’s interface to keep in touch with the real world. Eizo received calls occasionally. Aurora couldn’t hear what he was saying because he muted himself in-game during those calls, but he could see him nodding or shaking his head from time to time. Naturally, she was curious about who he was talking to and the subject of those calls, but asking such things would be extremely disrespectful. 

Aurora took a minute or so to admire the beauty of Alvheim, then walked to Eizo:

“I’ll take a walk around…” she spoke softly.

The man looked at her, nodded, and a happy smiley face appeared over his head. Aurora nodded as well and walked outside the pavilion. She glanced at the headquarters then turned to the servant’s house. Two small figures were walking around it, moving crates with goods inside. Dwarven man and his son, Gudred and Helmi Honeybrook, the creations of Grumpus Maximus, the guild's second dedicated healer. There was also Hilga Honeybrook somewhere inside the house. 

More often than not, custom NPCs were made for the protection of the guild base. In Oni-Daasu, they usually carried the most potent and fitting character builds guildmembers developed through years of experimentation. But Grumpus decided to create so-called flavor NPCs. Silverwing Refuge level pool was quite limited even with all the paid expansions. That’s why, as a small guild, they focused on creating powerful level one hundred NPCs. Yet no one in the guild ever complained about his decision.

“Not all heroes wear capes,” was the quote that he justified his creation with. 

And with Betsubara’s impressive skills at scripting, the Honeybrook family was a touch of realism to the place. The presence of these three dwarves walking around attending their daily chores made Oni-Daasu’s home feel more a bit more lively, believable, and welcoming. 

Aurora smiled at the short folk going about their scripted business as if the end wasn’t so near. She glimpsed at the clock in her UI.

[23:22:43]

She signed heavily. They were less than an hour from the deadline. That’s it. YGGDRASIL will be no more. Aurora started moving before she even knew it. She crossed the bridge and walked into the headquarter.

The internal quarters were mostly composed of the same white stone as the exterior, except for the floors, the roof, and some panels on the walls made of dark wood with a cherry tint. A broad wooden staircase divided the main hall into two.

An astonishing beauty greeted her silently with her ever-present soft smile. Lady Luna, the NPC created by Gachitamago, was slowly walking down the stairs that started about five meters from the entrance. 

It was an elven woman of an almost perfect visage. Her raven black hair dropped down past her shoulders, almost reaching her waist. Soft and delicate facial features complemented her captivating grey-purple eyes. Intricate lavender robes with a deep neckline with silver embroidery and edging blended well with her pale icy-blue skin. A shiny blue-ish metal staff of an impressive design with a pair of wings on top was held by her gentle, fragile-looking hand. She was given a slim, sound body with no excessive oversexualized parts. 

Aurora’s seen many NPCs created by players in YGGDRASIL and Luna was one of the most plausible, esthetically pleasing ones. She felt like a proper high elf noble.

There was a reason for that. Some guilds gave their members complete freedom for creativity. Some chose a theme for their creations and followed it even if some members did not like it. Oni-Daasu was in the middle of this spectrum with its policy. Certain people in the guild had the skill to make the environment and the NPCs fit together authentically. 

Hisuiken, for example, had an undeniable talent in graphic design. He was behind fine attunements and visual integrity of the interiors and exteriors of the guild base and NPCs' final touches.

Betsubara was a big fan of programming languages. He studied at a university and had a part-time job. He wrote the scripts for all the NPCs, rewrote, and refined them numerous times until he was pleased with the result. Last three or four years, he quit his regular job and started freelancing as a software engineer. Ignoring the fact that NPCs could not speak, Betsubara did an impressive job at programming them. Sometimes Aurora could forget that they were just virtual creations, especially when she saw her own NPCs. 

Luna stopped as she reached the end of the stairs and bowed respectfully to Aurora.

“Good evening,” she couldn’t help but giggle at herself at this moment, “Carry on, please.” 

Luna inherited her job build directly from Aurora’s senior – Lumia Septima. A dedicated priest healer. 

Lumia Septima indeed was one of the most amazing people Aurora had ever met. Well, Aurora could say that about every member of Oni-Daasu, yet Lumia was the first person she met from this guild.

Lumia was an editor and a publishing writer in the real world. She took a massive part in the creation of the Silverwing Refuge. Most players were satisfied with a simple description or abrupt backgrounds for their creations. But with Lumia’s help, everyone in Oni-Daasu was able to develop actual stories for their creations. 

Each NPC had a journey before “joining” Oni-Daasu, and she made sure there was a cohesive motivation for that. Their creators played a significant role in those stories, with other guild members making an occasional cameo or acting as secondary characters. 

Aurora smiled, remembering reading them. Rusty Crusty’s appearances in them usually made her laugh to tears. Surprisingly he didn’t mind it at all, laughing alongside others.

Lumia was a passionate and fruitful writer. She converted some of the NPCs stories into standalone novels and published them. Aurora discovered it after randomly buying a popular fantasy book in a store near her apartment. That was a surprising discovery, to say the least. Lumia never stated her age, but Aurora believed that she was probably around her mother’s or older age. However, Lumia had a pretty young sounding voice.

For a split-second, she could swear she saw Luna’s smile widen just a tiny bit, but it was only a mirage. The NPC simply turned and continued walking to the left part of the main hall. The part with two coffee tables in the center of that space, several comfortable couches, and pretty massive armchairs on either side of the fireplace located right below the walkway to the balcony on the second floor. The walls of this section were decorated with trophies and fun items they gathered over the years. They held no particular value beyond sentimental. 

That was the space for casual visits and hangouts. She could picture Eizo sitting in the left armchair by the fireplace having a leisure talk with one of the guild members, herself included, or guests from other guilds. Right now, his place was occupied by Luna’s husband, the second NPC Gachitamago created. Lord Helios.

That was a regal-looking man with androgynous facial features and bronze skin inherent to high elves. His thick long golden hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. A long wide scar ran down the right side of his forehead over the nose to his left cheek. A much smaller yet noticeable one crossed the right side of his lips. He had deep-green eyes that turned almost black if there were no significant light sources around.

His garment was one of an elvish nobleman, though more on a practical side. His elegant blue mantle with prominent shoulder pads with golden inlays was over a dark blue shirt, dark brown leather pants, and boots. 

Aurora looked back at Luna, who just made herself comfortable in the armchair opposite of her husband's. It looked like they could start a lighthearted conversation about the weather or exotic food in tones matching a long-lived noble couple at any moment. Yet NPCs always remained silent.

Aurora sighed shortly and glanced over to the right side, where a massive briefing table was situated. She recalled countless times she was standing by it with other guild members, looking through maps and notes they gathered while exploring this vast world. Usually, three voices prevailed in the air over this table: CyanIDESmile, GreenTeaParty, and Inari Eizo. The three usually were to define Oni-Daasu’s goals. Yet they never stopped anyone from the guild from intervening in their conversations, quite the opposite. They welcomed the opinions of other members. 

This time the table was empty, except for…

She walked towards the table and glared over a small notebook and a folded piece of paper. She recognized the notebook. It was one of Eizo’s journals. One of his oddities. The man took notes of everything and drew the maps by hand. She picked the piece of paper, and as she was expecting, it was a hand-drawn map of a place in Helheim. She could recall most of the landmarks, so she quickly imagined the area the map referred to.

“And what exactly is there?” she mumbled to herself.

As she touched the notebook, her body froze. That was pure curiosity she could resist. It didn’t matter at this point, and she did not want to be disrespectful towards her guild master. Although he probably wouldn’t mind at all.

Aurora shook her head and stepped away from the table, glanced over the bookshelves full of maps, historical encyclopedias, math manuals, YGGDRASIL documents, lore books, and guides. Latter were mostly general and easily obtainable, more rare things were stored in a more secure place. 

In general, the main area of the headquarters was nothing exceptional. Just a convenient and practical space for the guild’s social needs. They used it as a casual alternative to their Haunting Grounds’ mansion. 

She stepped on the stairs towards the second floor. It was hard to miss two massive banners with the Oni-Daasu guild’s symbol on each side on the staircase. They were relatively simple and tidy. A white symbol on a dark-blue background with silver edging.

The symbol they adopted was the one Aurora had never heard of prior to joining the guild.

Vegvisir originated in Nordic manuscripts. The name of the symbol could be directly translated as “way-finder”. It was also called “runic compass” sometimes. A symbol was supposed to help the bearer find the way through foul weather, even if the way was unknown. It was an understandable and quite pleasant concept. 

Each member had that symbol on a piece of equipment. Some made personal additions or alterations to it. The one on Eizo’s cape was in Japanese style, drawn in ink, and circled with the mythical snake known as Uroboros. He never really explained what it meant with anything other than “It fits the character”.

Aurora’s Vegvisir glowed on her leather fingerless gloves whenever she cast a spell with vibrant red. It was enveloped with a ring and a bigger triangle with its sides curved inside to touch the circle. Around the triangle, there were three symbols. She asked Betsubara for a design fitting her character and picked it out of three he made. It looked fittingly sinister and menacing. She always forgot to ask what those symbols meant. 

Aurora ascended the stairs and was greeted by yet another bowing figure. Black cloth and wrappings covered the woman’s body up to her animal-like yellow eyes that stared at Aurora, deprived of any emotion. It was Juno, lord and lady’s Silverwing bodyguard. She possessed ghostly white skin and black shoulder-length hair. A pair of two cat ears moved ever so slightly, as well as two tails that protruded from her lower back under her clothes.

Juno was a nekomata, the same race Aurora’s best friend Nekomusume played. Aurora loved cute animals as well, but Neko’s affection toward cats was quite obsessive sometimes. Well, it was in her in-game name.

Juno possessed one of her creator’s builds. Mochizuki Tomei guild’s roque player was all about stealth and explosive melee damage. “Face blasting” as she called it. However, Juno’s particular build was heavily focused on poison and bleeding DOT [Damage Over Time] type damage. Aurora’s earlier build was one of a similar kind, but in the end, she ditched it for more direct damage and support playstyle.

Tomei created Juno for two reasons. First, the nekomata race had great traits for this build. As for the second… Nekomusume.

“Carry on,” Aurora commanded casually. Juno stepped back into the shadows and disappeared as if she was never there. 

Every NPC was programmed to show respect if a player walked into a specific range around them. 

Aurora walked forward through a pretty tight corridor and glanced over to the left at the corridor's last door. She smiled. Eizo always left the door to his study half-opened even if he was inside. Though it was also an unusual habit, in her opinion, it spoke of him as a very amiable and friendly person. The other doors which led to NPS’s rooms were closed. She paced back to the balcony and looked down at the main area. 

So many memories. 

She glanced at the hilt of the rapier she was carrying on her belt. The edges of the blood-red gem in the pummel caught some light that came through the tall windows. Aurora wasn’t a weapon or history geek; she was a fan of fantasy in general. And she loved her rapier. The main protagonist of the first fantasy book Aurora ever read had a similar weapon. She never told anyone about that nor that it mattered. Other than that, she worked hard alongside others to obtain this high-end piece of gear. 

Aurora unsheathed her sword and jumped on the rails. With her training, she had no issue keeping her balance in-game. If it was real life, she could never have the courage to perform such a feat ever. She assumed a stance and performed several attacks just in front of her, retaining decent footwork even on the narrow railings. 

“I’m such a child…” Aurora mumbled to herself with a slight grin.

She jumped forward and slid down the railings then jumped again, landing on the first floor. Aurora made several quick cuts and stabs to the imaginable enemies as she usually did when she practiced alone. She froze for a moment, then straightened her posture and returned her sword to the scabbard. A moment of pure joy turned into light melancholy. 

Aurora glanced at the window as she noticed movement outside. She saw Eizo walking over the bridge with his arms behind his back. He was still talking to someone on the other end of the web as far as she could tell. He walked past headquarters and paced along with the trees across the ledge.

She felt a little frustrated. 

[23:35:49]

Aurora walked out of the headquarters. Eizo stood at the edge of the landing of the Silverwing Refuge, facing away from her. From the way he moved, Aurora could tell that he was actively conversing with someone. 

A short sigh left her lips yet again. She sat down on the entrance stairs, watching as the skies turning darker with every minute. She looked at the arms of her character. She could switch from her disguise, but what was the point?

_I will miss everything about YGGDRASIL…_

Another five minutes passed before Eizo walked back to her.

“My apologies, Aurora-san,” he spoke gently. “Something happened. Something I haven’t anticipated.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Eizo-san!”

“Well, Lumia-san wishes to say hello.” 

Aurora blinked in surprise. Eizo explained: 

“She’s in the call with me right now. If you don’t mind, she wanted to give you her contacts so you could be in touch.”

“Of course!” Aurora's heart was racing. She didn’t expect anything like this.

“You could probably reach to other guild members through her as well,” Eizo went silent for several seconds, looking to his right. “Alright, Aurora-san, are you ready to take notes?”

“Yes!”

She hurriedly wrote everything down and saved it to her cloud. 

“We still got time left. I’m willing to take a victory lap around our home. What would you say, Aurora-san?” Eizo sounded a little bit odd and coughed several times.

“Yes. I’d like to do so as well.”

The gigantic silver metal doors of the Inner Sanctum were glistening in the sunset light. It was adorned with intricate and masterful carvings of two pillars at the sides, accompanied by two trees whose canopies were trying to reach each other in the center. The half-oval top of the gates was edged with runes. In the center of the gates, the symbol of Vegvisir was carved. The remaining vacant space was filled with constellations that could be seen in the realm of Alvheim adorned with flavor geometrical elements.

Eizo touched the metal, and the doors started moving without a sound. 

Hisuiken struggled with the design for those doors for a long time, so when Aurora joined the guild, the entrance was a gaping hole in the mountain. She jokingly suggested taking inspiration from an iconic fantasy book, which to her surprise, he did. Betsubara recreated the design making some adjustments to his taste so it wouldn’t look like a complete ripoff. And in the end, it turned out to be surprisingly fitting Silverwing Refuge Oni-Daasu owned.

The doors opened up to a dimly lit interior filled with tiny gold and green glowing particles floating in the air. The solid stone floor continued past the entrance, gradually narrowing to a two-meter wide pathway between miniature hills formed by soil covered by surreal colored grass, flowers, bushes, and trees. 

Aurora glanced to the left at the giant, standing about two and a half meters tall.

Sumiyoshi Ibuki was a grey oni [Japanese ogre/demon]. Her body looked extremely developed for a female. Aurora herself was a fan of a fit and gorgeous female body. But Rusty Crusty, the creator of Ibuki, had a bit of unusual taste for women. And Ibuki was the embodiment of his vision of female physical beauty.

Wrappings covered Ibuki’s sizable chest in a way female martial arts practitioner would do. A hakama hid her legs with wrappings around the ankles and tabi. But there was no doubt that those legs were as ripped as her upper body. The wooden zori she wore were of appropriate size. That meant she was a bit shorter too. 

The NPC was carrying a fully metallic, giant, and scary kanabo [war club] with a ring on the handle's end. The weapon was comparable to Aurora’s whole body in size. 

Ibuki's face carried a confident grin at all times. She bowed deeply as was scripted.

“Stand by,” Eizo walked past the NPC.

Aurora paced with him as Ibuki straightened and turned to the gates. The doors automatically closed behind them. The interior plunged into gloom, dimly lit by the specks of light in the air and fluorescent fungus on the walls. But they had no trouble navigating through it anyway as both Eizo and Aurora’s characters possessed Darkvision. The pathway took a left turn and soon expanded into a giant cave.

It was a vast cavern easily exceeding three hundred meters in diameter, with the ceiling reaching about fifty meters. The floor fluctuated in height because of the artificial hills that were crowded by trees, so it was hard to see the cave's entirety from the ground. But a colossal tree on the far side of the Sanctum could be seen from any point. Gigantic druses of cyan and blue crystals protruded from the stone and soil everywhere around the cave, even from the ceiling enveloping the interior in soft light. Countless yellow and green will-o-wisps were floating around in the air adding even more color to the surroundings. The atmosphere here was simply otherworldly. 

The pathway parted into three. Eizo and Aurora took the central one.

“Umisen’yamasen-san did a great job.” It didn’t feel like Eizo addressed those words directly to her. He was probably enjoying the view as much as she did.

“Yes!” she replied.

Unlike the Ledge that was purposefully left mostly uninhabited, the Inner sanctum was a much livelier place. As they moved through it, Aurora couldn’t help but notice the silhouettes moving under the tree canopies. 

Though most of the Inner Sanctum trees looked completely normal, some were treants, default monster creatures used for guild base defense. They were ranging from level seventy to ninety. Inside the Inner Sanctum, there were also dryads and florans freely roaming the area. Those NPCs were around level sixty to seventy. Finally, there were mossfolk that were added mostly for flavor. Their level couldn’t exceed twenty.

The creek running through the Ledge of the Silverwing Refuge was meandering through the entirety of the Inner Sanctum. As they walked over it by a bridge formed by tree roots, Aurora glanced to her left. A giant panther-like creature was resting on top of an overgrown boulder. It didn’t react to them at all. It was a pet beast of one of the NPCs that guarded Inner Sanctum.

Aurora looked at Eizo. It seemed like his own thoughts consumed him. She would be happy to start a conversation, but everything she could think of seemed lame or inappropriate. They’ve visited some of their favorite places in the game, reminiscing about their time together with the guild. Have been to their allies’ home bases, though most of them were closed and empty. So, this was the last step of their years-long journey. 

Both of them walked in silence. 

They ended up walking by the bank of the pond on the far side of the Inner Sanctum. In its center, there was an island encompassed in giant roots. Aurora threw back her head to look at the entity above.

It was Einarr, the main guardian of the Silverwing Refuge. A colossal treant about twenty-five meters high. Both his massive arms rested against the ground as his legs disappeared into the ground and were covered by extremely thick roots. His face was just under the vast and lush canopy, but it was hard to see as his eyes were closed at the moment. 

Einarr was created by Umisen’yamasen using an extremely rare item he obtained while he experimented with various druidic character builds. Unlike usual custom NPCs that were created instantly and then adjusted, it took a whole year until Einarr reached his full potential. However, it was more than justified. All the other treants, dryads, and other plant creatures were his summons except for Siv.

Siv was a level one hundred dryad fighter created by Umisen’yamasen to protect Einarr alongside beast master Gilzanesh. But at the moment, Aurora couldn’t spot any of the two around.

Behind Einarr, there was a broad opening in the trees where three swirling magical portals could be seen. Eizo and Aurora stopped in the center of it. Individual arches decorated each of the portals and though were technically flat, looked like spiraling passages.

The right portal was a mix of light yellow and blue, adorned with a clockwork style arch with constantly turning cogwheels. It led to the Timeless Tower, the beloved creation of Betsubara. 

Black mixed with all shades of purple in the right portal. Its frame was dark grey, adorned with faceless masks and tentacles. A pathway to the Abyssal Tower, created by GreenTeaParty.

The central portal led to the Haunting Grounds and was of a ghostly green color with white accents and an archway in the gothic style.

“Hmm…” Eizo glanced over the portals in succession, “Where should we go?”

“I guess…” Aurora’s gaze fell over the time, “Oh…”

[23:42:45]

“There’s not much time left. We probably won’t be able to see everything.”

“Let’s walk to the mansion then.”

“I understand.”

Eizo nodded and walked through the central portal. Aurora looked back at the Inner Sanctum and bowed deeply. 

“Thank you. Farewell.”

***

“So, it’s time to say goodbye to YGGDRASIL, I guess?” Eizo sighed.

Aurora was sitting on the right in her chair at the giant round table situated in the spacious guild’s conference hall inside the mansion. 

“Lumia Septima-san…” Eizo’s gaze traveled through the chairs around the table “CyanIDESmile-san, Gachitamago-san, Hisuiken-san, Grumpus Maximus-san, Nekomusume-san, Mochizuki Tomei-san, Umisen’yamasen-san, Rusty Crusty-san, GreenTeaParty-san, Monosugoihae-san, Betsubara-san…” each chair was marked with personal Vegvisir of each guild member accordingly. He looked at the only person present, “… Amber Aurora-san. I’m thankful for I’ve met you and the time we had together. I wish it could last longer. The memories of you are truly the ones worth keeping.”

“Thank you for being our leader, Eizo-san…” girl’s voice was shaken. She was getting overly emotional. He could relate. But at this point, would it matter at all? 

[23:58:24]

“Well, Aurora-san, it was nice knowing you. I hope we meet again someday.” Eizo spoke softly. He couldn’t make out the response. Aurora was crying. Well, you couldn’t technically cry in-game, but it was in her voice. He wished to comfort her, but what words could make her feel better in a moment like this?

Eizo looked at the video call and nodded in silence. He was a bit happy because Aurora overlooked that. He leaned into his chair and closed his eyes, ready to embrace anything to come.

“I will miss all of you …” Aurora’s weakened voice reached his ear.

“I will miss everyone as well…” Eizo nodded.

His attention was locked on the clocks. He was only seconds away from the end.

_No depts unpaid. No grudges. I’m good to go. Finally, I don’t even feel sad. It was a good ride. And it is an excellent point to end it. Thank you all…_

[23:59:55]

_Embrace it…_

Eizo panicked even though he readied himself. He felt the air escaping his lungs against his will. His chest was filled with excruciating pain. His muscles struggled to work yet deprived of any strength, left his nerves screaming of exhaustion and hopelessness.

Ears ringing, the space around him entered a state of furious spin. Was he falling? He couldn’t comprehend reality. The only thing he could hear is the all-consuming and ever-slowing beats oh his own heart in the sea of viscous pain. His thoughts were escaping him at a pace he couldn’t keep anymore. It was sickening, horrid beyond measure. 

_Embrace it…_

“Eizo-san?!... Eizo-san?!...”

He hasn’t heard that voice ever before. Yet there was something uncannily familiar about it. He just couldn’t grasp what it was.

“Inari-dono!”

Another, but this time utterly unfamiliar voice reached to his conscience.

_…What the hell?!..._

Just now, he realized that he could breathe again. He instinctively gasped for air, hyperventilating. Through the nothingness around, a distant feeling appeared. A familiar one, the one he almost forgot. A sense of a physical body. Eizo subconsciously tried to move, and the body responded, though the response was delayed and incomplete. 

_…What is going on?!..._

“Wh… Wha…”

He opened his eyes, surprised at the fact that he just remembered how to do such a thing. A surge of pain needled through his brain. He almost blacked out again. 

“Wha…t happ…ened?...” he tried to speak, but instead, someone else spoke for him.

“Eizo… san?”

“Are you alright, Inari-dono? Should I call for Luna-sama?”

“What?” an unfamiliar voice wondered.

For a few moments, his vision stabilized. Everything was extraordinarily bright and painfully sharp. But the pain that raised in his mind for a split second died as quickly as it came. The spots and blobs of light formed cohesive shapes. He recognized that he was lying on the floor on his side. A familiar face was looking at him within a familiar room.

“What happened?” Eizo froze. 

_Nonsense…_

The male voice he heard just now wasn’t his own, but he discovered that it came from his body. A smooth and powerful baritone. He addressed this question to Aurora, who was sitting on her knees beside him. She did not reply. She looked at him then slowly turned her gaze upon somebody he couldn’t see, Someone behind him.

“Inari-dono, Luna-sama will be here immediately,” He could swear he never heard that voice before. Eizo tried to lift himself from the ground, and to his surprise, it was not as hard as he anticipated. To be completely honest, his body never felt this healthy and responsive in his entire life, “Please, be careful.”

“I’m… alright… I think.”

_But… this can’t be happening! Impossible!_

Though he did not need any help, someone’s hands were gently guiding him as he got on his feet. Eizo felt a tiny bit dizzy, but otherwise, he hasn’t felt so good in years. But at this moment, he couldn’t dwell on that fact.

As he turned to the person who helped him up, he saw no human, but a dark elf. A drow, to be precise. His red pupils, full of genuine fear and confusion, were fixated on Eizo.

It took Eizo several seconds to realize that before him stood Christian, the creation of Nekomusume. The elf was dressed in a butler attire with a mix of renaissance and fantasy flavors. His charcoal skin contrasted with blood-red eyes, and his long pure white hair pulled in a loose side braid and rested on his chest.

“I’m alright,” Eizo repeated with more confidence this time. The sound of the voice that came out of his mouth made him frown. 

_This isn’t right. This shouldn’t be happening. This can’t be… Right?_

Was he truly alright? His breath was almost completely calm. No pain in his chest. He felt completely healthy. That was uncanny, to say the least. 

“My apologies Inari-dono,” Christian replied, realizing that he was still holding the guild master by the elbow. He retained his hand and bowed apologetically. 

At this moment, Eizo heard hurrying steps outside the conference room. The heavy doors busted open.

“What happened?! Is everyone alright?” worried and a beautiful voice rang out through the hall. “Inari-dono? Amber Aurora-sama?”

The guild master finally noticed broken pieces of wood all over the floor. He glanced at the table. In the spot that he usually occupied, the countertop was utterly destroyed. Chunks of solid stone were lying just under the table. Due to the table’s massive construction, only Eizo’s spot was damaged.

_This is just… I don’t… But…_

He turned to Aurora. She was still on her knees on the floor, looking at him, completely stunned.

_Hold on a second… Stop panicking. Focus. Emotions can be dealt with later._

He held out his hand for Aurora. She hesitantly accepted it and got up.

“Yes, everything’s fine, Luna-sama,” Eizo replied to the beauty in lavender robes.

“Thank god! You got me worried, Cristian! But…” she glanced over at the table. “What happened here?”

“I… I got a bit emotional.” 

_This isn’t normal. Shouldn’t be happening. A postmortem vision? A new experiment? I can’t be…_

Aurora’s lips were tightly shut and twitching slightly. She was in a state of utter disbelief and confusion. Her honey skin even became of a lighter tone. A realization hit Eizo as a bolt of lightning. He looked at Cristian and Luna. 

“I apologize for alarming both of you.” Eizo startled for a moment. This made no sense. He glanced back to his guildmate, “Aurora-san, are you feeling alright?”

“I have no clue… to be honest… I…” Aurora struggled to speak. And Eizo knew precisely why. Her voice was not her familiar human voice anymore, but sweet like nectar, rich with overtones, stunningly feminine, and captivating voice perfect for a succubus. 

“With all due respect, are you sure everything’s alright, Inari-dono?” judging by Luna’s tone, she was sincerely concerned. Eizo glanced at her and made a gesture to access the game’s menu. Nothing. 

_Think. They wouldn’t do this to me, would they? If it’s some kind of uncontrolled hallucination, its logic will be unstable. But if it’s a simulation… How can I know for sure?_

“We might be in trouble. I hope I’m wrong. Luna-sama, may I ask of you to make sure that everything’s fine at Silverwing Refuge?”

“Most certainly, Inari-dono!” elf priestess replied readily.

“Same goes for Inner Sanctum. Cristian-san, inform everyone within the Haunting Grounds to check every corner and stay alert, then visit both of the Towers with the same message… Report the result of the investigation to me as soon as possible.” 

“Understood. We’ll be on our way then, Inari-dono,” Luna bowed deeply. So did Christian. Eizo nodded.

Both of them left the room. Eizo stood in silence, watching them in contemplation. He couldn’t tell if his vision was playing a trick on him. The NPCs and their clothes moved with a level of physicality unreachable in YGGDRASIL. Did he imagine things?

“Eizo-san?” 

“Yes?”

“What… what do we do?”

Eizo looked at Aurora, frowning deeply. 

_How do I know if she’s real? If she is…_

“We truly got a mystery on our hands. Let us assess the situation…” he walked to the table and settled in a vacant chair. Aurora hesitated for a second, then joined in taking a seat next to him. 

“Menu doesn’t work. Same with apps. The console commands. GM communication… Nothing.” 

He reached out to his side. His hand penetrated the space, disappeared into his inventory’s pocket dimension, and produced a notebook and a pencil.

“Well, the inventory still works, which is something… Is it the same for you, Aurora-san?”

As he looked at her, the girl was still confused and trying out things he just did. He moved like Aurora he knew, but with the facial expressions, she felt much more real.

_They couldn’t have locked me in another simulation. He wouldn’t have let that happen. I made sure of it! I definitely felt… did I? They couldn’t fake it!_

“Yes. I don’t understand. What is going on?” she sounded lost, confused, and stressed out.

Eizo leaned with his elbows against the tabletop and rested his chin on his clasped together hands.

“Faces have expressivity, our voices changed, they are more in line with our characters, the NPCs just acted like if they were living creatures, I can taste the smells vividly and my eyesight and hearing is insanely sharp, but most importantly…” he stopped himself. Aurora shouldn’t hear it. What if it wasn’t just a dream? “If I may ask, do you feel real Aurora-san?”

“I mean… I’m me… I think… but my voice… and my body…” she looked down. Her face turned red in an instant. “It can’t be real! How could something like this happen?”

“I’d be happy to answer that question. Do you feel sick or anything?” 

“I mean… I don’t know… I feel pretty good… I mean… Sort of? Eizo-san, please tell me I’m not crazy! Am I in my character’s body? This is nuts!”

“Agreed…” Eizo replied. 

_She acts according to what I would expect. Seems genuine. But isn’t that what my mind would be able to generate? A part of me wants to believe she is real… but the implication of that… Wait. They couldn’t have recreated Aurora. She is a regular player. This is beyond the technical capabilities of everything they tested. If I somehow could validate that she is genuinely Aurora…_

“Anyway, we should try and keep a cold mind and not give in to panic.”

“Can you pinch me, please?” 

Eizo couldn’t help but smile at such a request. He didn’t expect that. But that was still something Aurora could say.

“Sure. If you wish so,” He reached and pinched the back of her hand. She remained silent, “So? How is it?”

“Yes. I clearly felt that. Does this mean it’s not a dream?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh! I was… I’m sorry! I’m so selfish! Are you alright, Eizo-san? You screamed, broke the table and the chair… I was counting down with my eyes closed, and it happened so quickly…”

“Hmm… about that…” Eizo frowned yet again, “Let me ask first if you felt anything change as the clock hit midnight?”

“I…umm…” Aurora felt silent for a little bit, “I mean… Maybe a little ticklish for a split second? I was more concerned about you screaming and falling over…”

“Well… I was… surprised…” 

Aurora looked at him in confusion, then shook her head.

“Yes. I was surprised too… Mmm…”

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing really. It just a little bit chilly here…”

Eizo glared over Aurora with a slight concern. 

“Could you lend me your hand for a moment?”

Aurora silently extended her arm. As their palms touched, a surprised expression appeared on both of their faces.

_She has a pulse! I actually feel our skin touching! But why on Earth is she that warm? It’s like she has a fever or something, but she acts completely normal…_

“It is not cold. My body temperature…”

“It is high. That is strange. Are you sure you’re feeling fine?”

“I think so…”

“Pardon me, Inari-dono,” a gentle female voice came to the guild master of Oni-Daasu. He recognized it as he heard it just a couple of minutes ago. Luna used a [Message] spell. Eizo was used to communicating with other players using it, so he wasn’t surprised by the spell itself.

_So, she decided to use the spell on her own? That’s…_

“I’m listening, Luna-sama.” 

“There’s indeed a predicament as you just said. No enemies in sight, but…”

“I’ll be there shortly. Thank you, Luna-sama.”

“You’re too kind to me, Inari-dono!”

“Keep a keen eye on your surroundings.”

“Understood.”

“Hmm…” as Luna broke the spell, Eizo encompassed his chin with his fingers. “Luna-sama just spoke with me.”

“Via Message?”

“Mhm… Something is going on outside. We should go. But before that…” Eizo paused for a moment, “[Vermin]”

A burst of black smoke silently escaped Eizo’s hand, and a straight, double-edged dagger appeared in his grasp. Its blade was longer than average, made out of reflective black crystal. A faint crimson glow was noticeable at the base of the blade. It was pulsating in the rhythm of a heartbeat.

There were no buttons to press here, so he couldn’t choose the weapon to summon. His first assumption was to visualize the menu and try pressing the non-existing buttons, but the attempt fell short. Then he tried to call for one of his weapons by its name. To his relief, that was enough.

_I could say that it is a convenient design. Is it still a game? This is getting too weird. Why would anyone bother redesigning YGGDRASIL? None of this makes sense._

Eizo made sure it was the same as he remembered it to be. Familiar handle and crossguard. It felt more real somehow. He frowned, thinking of the best way to get information.

“Take it,” he flipped the dagger in his hand and presented it to Aurora handle first. 

“Eizo-san?” Aurora looked utterly confused, “Why?”

“Take it,” he repeated himself. Aurora frowned as she was about to say something but stopped herself and looked at the weapon. She glanced at Eizo one more time and wrapped her fingers around the dagger’s handle, “Now cut my hand.”

“What?!... Hmm…” a brief perplexity in her eyes shifted to understanding and curiosity. He nodded to answer her unspoken question. She used the tip of the blade and dragged it across his palm. It was so sharp it required almost no pressure.

The blood that was pouring from the flesh wound was immediately sucked and absorbed by the crystal blade making the dim pulsating light grow stronger. She retracted the dagger and looked at Eizo, “Is that alright?”

“Yes…” 

Eizo was still looking at his hand. He never felt anything like it before. Well, being cut was a pretty familiar experience, and the pain was there. But the feeling of being drained was unfamiliar. The best comparison he could think of is putting a limb into a bucket of ice-cold water on a scorching day, but if the sensation was concentrated in one place. He could feel the heat leaving his body with the blood. 

“That was interesting. [Inner Cure]” the cut on his hand was still bleeding and not closing due to the dagger’s affixes, but as soon as he cast the spell, his limb was in a perfect condition split second later. “Alright…”

“Friendly fire…”

“Yeah… That’s a thing now…” Eizo let out a quick sigh.

What happened was against the game’s logic. Eizo and Aurora belonged to the same guild hence the same faction. Unless they were in a declared duel or in a free-for-all zone like an arena, she shouldn’t be able to inflict any damage on him, even with an AOE [area of effect] type spell or ability. 

Besides, Eizo clearly saw his own blood and the flesh wound looked way too real for a game like YGGDRASIL. Such detailed depictions would have never been implemented due to marketing reasons. And it would be too demanding on the hardware side.

_This is… no… it can’t be real, can it? The amount of computing resources required to make such a simulation would be astronomical. Unless… we’re in a confined enclosure. Would they invest in taking a part of YGGDRASIL and making a copy of it to keep me in? Why is Aurora here then? It doesn’t add up._

“Anyway, now we know that the spells are activated vocally, and Vermin seem to be working properly. Did you feel anything?”

“Yes… It was… I felt like I just woke up from a good night's rest. Warm and full of energy. It’s weird…” she looked at the dagger for a second then hurriedly passed it back to Eizo.

He accepted Vermin and hesitated while looking at it. He glanced at Aurora.

_The way she described that… It feels genuine. She couldn’t be… Will she bleed as well? Should I push it just to be sure?_

He stared back at his dagger and sighed.

“We have to test other abilities and spells… [Concealed Arsenal]”

The black smoke enveloped the dagger, and with that, Vermin disappeared from Eizo’s hand.

“But right now, we need to see what’s going on outside…” he looked at Aurora, “Are you sure you’re doing alright?”

“I’m as good as I can be…” she cracked a smile. Weak and nervous one.

“Then let’s go see what we’ve been dragged into…” Eizo got up from his chair.

“Do you think that’s someone’s doing?” Aurora asked as they were walking towards the door.

“It might be…”

They walked out of the conference room, and as soon as they left the protected perimeter, Eizo cast [Astral Gate]. A familiar doorway appeared in front of them.

“That’s what we’ll have to find out…” 

***

The night sky was clear, and the air felt refreshing. The rolling hills outside the Great Forest of Evasha were shrouded by thin blueish fog. The weather was calm. The coming day promised to be sunny and relatively warm.

Francis Junia Tuslan filled his favorite pipe adorned with silver and a row of small rubies around the edge with fine smelling tobacco and lit it. He took a few puffs and sighed as he rested his head upon his vacant hand.

“Is there something bothering you, commander?”

On the other side of the table was his trusted captain Elise Pelagia Rancote. She was a pretty blonde woman in her thirties, brave and loyal. Not exceptionally smart, but smart nonetheless. Francis always enjoyed her company, though he kept it formal. He was too old to chase skirts as he did in the past. Now he was just an old soldier sent to fight another battle.

“But is there anything bothering you, young lady?” he chuckled and took another puff. Elise responded with a concerned look on her face. He shook his head and smiled, “Alright, alright. Don’t make such faces. Wrinkles are no good for women’s looks.”

“With all due respect, that’s the last thing I care about,” Elise huffed.

“But you should,” he smiled and averted his gaze upon the hills, “Forgive the old man. I’m just poking you for no reason. Maybe I’m indeed too old to be here.”

“Don’t say that commander. You’re a well-respected man. And people trust you, they believe in you.”

“People believe a lot of things, my dear!” Francis smirked regretfully, “Even the things that don’t make a speck of sense. That doesn’t make them true.”

“But…” she frowned as her shoulders sank.

Few minutes passed with no words spoken.

Most of the soldiers were asleep except for the patrols. The campfire about two meters away from the table was one of the many in the giant military camp of Slaine Theocracy. It was here for so long that several fortifications grew around it.

The war with the elves of the Great Forest of Evasha started a long time ago, but Francis couldn’t see the end of it. He was dispatched to this front recently though he already spent years fighting elves. He started as a driven and ambitious young captain, just like Elise.

But as the years went by, as the visions of fires and bloodshed piled up in his memory, his courage seemed to be dying away. Francis didn’t feel like a hero though several feats of strategical prowess glorified his name. He did not feel strong though only a handful of people except those in the Scriptures could match him in a fight.

At some point, the war became mundane. Just a daily chore he was supposed to attend to every single day of his life. He was satisfied if his plans worked and unhappy if something went wrong though it rarely did so. But those feelings were so bleak he could barely notice them.

“Commander Tuslan, captain Rancote!” a young soldier approached the table and saluted, “The supply caravan is in the vicinity of the camp.”

“Good timing.” Elise nodded, “Find Travis and convey my order to escort it into the camp and sort the goods.”

“Does the caravan look normal?” Francis looked directly in the soldier’s face.

The young man startled; a look of confusion took his face. Francis frowned.

“Yes, sir. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Francis stared at the boy for a few moments, then flicked his hand.

“You got your orders. Dismissed.”

“Yes!”

The soldier walked away at a hurried pace.

“Is something wrong, commander?”

“Nah. Just keeping men alert,” he replied, watching as the soldier disappeared between the tents. He tried to take a puff, but the tobacco burned out. He felt slightly frustrated and knocked it out of the pipe to the ground. “Do you mind taking a bedtime walk with me, dear?”

Elise glanced at him with a contemplated look.

“Yes, sir.”

Francis nodded and got off the chair.

They walked through the camp, meeting several patrols. Francis kept looking at the horizon. Several lanterns marked the position of the caravan.

It wasn’t long passed the sunset, and the time was almost right. They were expecting the supplies in the coming noon to see that the caravan made it earlier to the camp as a positive. But Francis wasn’t feeling good about it. This war made him paranoid, he was aware of that.

The main reason it was still going was elves’ tactics. Slaine Theocracy’s might remained unmatched amidst the human kingdoms. Yet elves being much smaller in numbers, using their magic items and spells, were able to keep them at bay. They avoided direct confrontation, used their grounds’ landscape to their advantage but most importantly, they sabotaged Theocracy’s army numerous times.

The convoy with torches deployed from the camp and reached the caravan. Several minutes passed, and they joined the caravan.

Francis sighed. Was it just his paranoia?

“Damn those elves…” he mumbled under his breath as they walked toward the hill his tent was settled on.

Upon reaching the top, he looked at the approaching lights of the caravan. He couldn’t see anything except for the lights from this distance. It annoyed him. He looked at Elise:

“Check the supplies. Just in case.”

“Understood,” she replied at the ready. He frowned and turned away. His hand reached the spying glass in his pocket. He just couldn’t brush off an uneasy feeling. He stood and observed the part of the camp where the caravan was going to enter.

As the covered carts entered the camp lights, he saw the soldiers of Theocracy surrounding them. Most of them had helmets on. It wasn’t unusual. He couldn’t make out any faces, though.

“Is everything alright, commander?”

“Seems so…”

Several thunderous explosions tore night’s serenity to shreds.

Francis immediately turned to the sound which came from the part closest to the Great Forest. Soldiers' tents were on fire. Burning people screeched and ran around like headless chickens.

“Commander?!” Elise's voice tasted iron.

He looked through his spyglass, but couldn’t spot the enemy.

A distraction.

He gritted his teeth out of frustration and turned back to the caravan. He was right.

At that moment, his ears caught the familiar sound of elven arrows. More explosions.

“Damn elves! [Amplify]!”

His next words boomed over the camp and the closest hills.

“TO ARMS! ELVES! NORTH-EAST!”

The moment he went silent, another sound filled the air. Elven horns. The sound was coming from all around the camp. At least it sounded like it.

“Commander!”

Elise almost knocked him down to the ground. He spun on the spot and was barely able to prevent her from dropping to the ground. An arrow was sticking out of her throat. Three more laid around deflected by her armor.

He glanced around. Nothing. A group of soldiers was rushing towards them. Francis noticed several clerics among them.

“Secure the perimeter! Healers! Captain Rancote requires immediate attention!”

He passed his bleeding and choking subordinate to the clerics and straightened. Glanced over to where the caravan was.

Of course. The shadows of elves raging through the camp were almost gone. They struck and ran away. If not for his warning, the number of casualties would be much higher.

The night was filled with screams of pain and confusion.

Francis sighed. Just another day at war with damned elves…

***

As soon as they walked out of the portal, both looked up, turned around, and froze dumbfounded. 

“That’s impossible…” Eizo mumbled to himself and rushed to the edge. Aurora stood motionless for a couple of seconds, then followed her guild master. They stared down with blank expressions on their faces.

A massive canyon laid right below the Ledge elongated alongside the mountain ridge Silverwing Refuge was occupying at the current moment. Massive stone pillars and arches could be seen even from as high as they were. Eizo roughly estimated that they were about a kilometer and a half above the edges of the canyon. Though it was tough to tell in the dim moonlight. 

The canyon transgressed into a lush and dense carpet of forest that was probably green in the sunlight. The sky was pretty clear, but still, it was hard to make out any details other than another mountain ridge to the left and a distant massive body of water to the right. The only thing that stood out painfully evident was the lights. Settlement lights. Both in the forest and the planes. Some of them were faint and barely visible, but there were several prominent ones. 

“This is not Alvheim for damn sure,” He gritted his teeth.

“This doesn’t make sense... The server was supposed to go down,” Aurora whispered perplexedly.

“Umu…” Eizo nodded. 

The last person they saw in the game was Gollark, the first officer of Völundr’s Sledgehammer. But the attempt to contact him via [Message] spell failed. He ravaged through his memory, trying to reach out to most active players he knew could be online in the last hour of YGGDRASIL. Every time he tried, it felt like the spell made his conciseness expand in a thin thread, but every time it ended up in confusion as the spell's target could not be detected. 

_What kind of madness is this? The Silverwing Refuge is attached to a different mountain. As if it was cut out and placed here…_

He closed his eyes for a moment.

“Either way… we’ve got other pressing matters…” Eizo mumbled under his breath. He glanced over his shoulder at Luna, who was standing at a respectful distance.

“Inari-dono. Amber Aurora-sama,” she bowed deeply.

“Luna-sama,” Eizo turned bowed back, Aurora followed suit. 

“You’re way too generous addressing me this way,” Luna smiled.

“It’s the only appropriate way to address nobility.”

“Oh, though it’s flattering, there’s no need for a Supreme Being, especially Inari-dono, to uphold such minuscule formalities.” 

“Ahem…” Eizo cleared his throat, suppressing the urge to exchange looks with Aurora. A Supreme Being? “Well, if you put it that way, it is exactly why I shall retain formalities to set an appropriate example for everyone.”

“Understood. My apologies, Inari-dono.”

“There’s no need. Now…” he allowed himself to look at Aurora. Though she tried to keep her composure, he could tell she was uneasy. It was understandable. 

_Assuring her safety should be my main priority. If it’s really her trapped in here with me… She’s just a student. A young girl._

The [Gate] spell activated in the waypoint, and a dark elf stepped out of it.

“Inari-dono. Every denizen of the Haunting Grounds, the Timeless Tower, and the Abyssal Tower were informed of the current situation and given the instructions you provided.” Christian bowed gracefully as he finished his report.

“Splendid,” Eizo turned his head to the landscape.

Luna called him a Supreme Being.

 _Is this just her mindset, or does it apply to every other NPC?_ _Also…_

“[Truesight]”

His vision shifted. Everything in the range of sixty meters lit up as if it was broad daylight. But most importantly, he could now see a translucent dome that encompassed the entirety of Silverwing Refuge. He could distinguish several layers of it with different tints of green, blue, and purple. Those were the edges of protective magic with a hundred- and fifty-meter radius. The center was the underground chamber of the headquarters. 

“The defensive spells are active…”

“Yes. The artifacts within the headquarters are intact. Nothing seems to be out of order, Inari-dono,” Luna confirmed, “Helios joined Telvie on the watchtower. Juno is currently patrolling the perimeter. Ibuki is watching over the gates to Inner Sanctum. Einarr is on guard, so are Gilzanash and Siv. There should be nothing to worry about.”

“What about the Honeybrooks?”

“I’ve sent them to the mansion for the time being.”

“Good call,” Eizo nodded.

“Thank you, Inari-dono,” Luna smiled respectfully. 

Now when the initial shock somewhat subsided, Eizo’s perception was much sharper. He was able to catch little details about NPCs' intonations and body language. Yet he couldn’t find a reason to doubt their intentions. So far, they were genuine as far as he could tell. Although he never interacted with elves before.

“Inari-dono, both Towers and the Haunting grounds appear to be untouched and safe,” Christian reported.

“Hmm…” Eizo crossed his hands and threw his head back in contemplation. He got distracted by a refreshing feeling of doing that in a body that felt so much more real than a virtual one for a moment. But restrained his mind to keep his train of thoughts moving in the right direction, “So our next step would be…”

His eyes widened of sudden realization. Why didn’t he think of this in the first place?!

“It’s a different planet…” he breathed out the words. 

“What?” Aurora couldn’t contain a surprised gasp, “Are you sure, Eizo-san?”

“A different world,” Eizo repeated with confidence, still looking at the skies, “The stars… I can’t make out any constellations I know about.”

Aurora fell silent and looked up.

He was adamant about it. Numerous high-tier puzzles in YGGDRASIL revolved around the skies' map, and each of the Nine Realms had its own. Eizo learned them by heart. He also knew the stars that could be seen from Earth. And due to the defensive magic of their base being active, it couldn’t be an illusion. 

“Luna-sama.”

“Yes, Inari-dono?”

He lowered his head to look at her. The elven lady was smiling politely but also friendly. He couldn’t sense anything other than a respectful and loyal attitude towards him and Aurora. The same statement applied to Christian, though he was created with negative karma, unlike Luna. In general, YGGDRASIL terms he was considered evil.

_It’s too big. Different land, animated NPCs, different interaction design, physicality... If this is another simulation, it’s just too much… If it was a new game, the developers should’ve warned us…wouldn’t they?_

He examined the elves before him one more time. They were his guildmates' creations. Was this fact enough to fully trust them?

He glanced at Aurora.

She was looking back at him, silent and confused. She was probably too afraid or shy to speak to the NPCs on her own. 

_But if not the NPCs, who can we trust except for each other? Assuming we are really here. I can’t contact my allies from YGGDRASIL, but it doesn’t imply that hostile players could not be around… We can’t leave The Silverwing Refuge without an idea of what’s outside. I need to work things out and fast. I can figure out the bigger picture along the way._

He held down a sigh and kept his face straight. 

“We need to be sure we’re safe. If anything happens in an hour – report immediately. If there will be no sign of preparing an attack from an unknown foe, I want every single denizen of the highest level except Einarr and Watatsumi Rei gathered in the ballroom.”

“Currently, the situation is under control. I believe we can handle it. I will pass your instructions to everyone else, Inari-dono.”

“Good. Then we are to leave Luna-sama. [Astral Gate].”

“Should I be following you, Inari-dono?” Christian wondered gently.

“Yes Christian-san. Aurora-san?” 

“Yes,” she was still shocked by everything but at least wasn’t panicking. 

They walked into the portal. Christian followed behind.

They stepped out of it in the foyer of the mansion.

A massive spiral chandelier with around a thousand tear-shaped crystals shone brightly up above, closer to the seven-meter ceiling. They stood in a spacious hall with two curved in half-circle shape wide marches that led to the second floor. Massive wooden doors between the marches were wide open and led down to the spacious ballroom. 

It was beautiful, yet ominous. CyanIDESmile was passionate about medieval vampire stories and esthetics. The biggest guild base expansion they purchased from the in-game store was designed entirely by him and took the form of The Haunting Grounds with its mansion and chapel by the lakeside surrounded by deep pine woods and creeping mists. The interiors here were pompous, and due to carefully crafted lighting and some details, they gave a slightly unsettling vibe. CyanIDESmile used plans of an existing early renaissance palace as a reference to create this place.

Mansion had two ground floors with an observatory and two underground levels. The ground part of the mansion was T-shaped. The first floor consisted of the foyer, the ballroom, and the conference hall in the center. Technical facilities and storerooms were concentrated in the left section. The right section held the NPC rooms. 

Eizo glanced over the man standing next to him. 

“Christian-san.”

“Yes, Inari-dono?”

“Could I ask for some tea?”

“Well, of course, Inari-dono. What kind of tea would you prefer?”

“Black with a slice of lemon, no sugar, please. Aurora, would you like some as well?”

“I… Yes. Some green tea would be nice… please…”

“Certainly. Where should I bring it, may I ask?”

“My room,” Eizo nodded. 

“Right away.”

Christian bowed gracefully and walked out the foyer through the doors on the left, heading to the kitchen. Eizo watched as the doors closed behind the elf and turned to Aurora.

“I apologize for not asking you preemptively. I hope you don’t mind if we continue the conversation in my room.”

“Not at all. I’m sure you’re a better judge of what we should do right now. If you’re sure that it’s the best option…” Aurora closed her eyes and let out a sigh, “I apologize for being so useless…”

“Anyone would be overwhelmed in this kind of situation. In that case, shall we?” 

The second floor was fully dedicated to the guild members. A total of nineteen spacious rooms, nine in the central part, belonged to the guild's founders, five on the right occupied by the members who joined along the way. Five vacant rooms on the left Oni-Daasu kept for potential members.

As Eizo entered the central corridor, he gradually slowed down his pace until he stopped in place, looking over his friends’ rooms' closed doors. It was so surreal. He avoided walking down this hall for most of the last year on the game. It felt too frustrative to see those rooms being full of his friends’ character yet empty.

_If they were online with us, would they be stuck here as well? If that is true… There’s no way… But… Oh, guys… I wish I could talk to you…_

Aurora silently stopped by his side. They exchanged gazes. Aurora smiled bitterly and nodded. Eizo’s face remained inert for a bit, then he smiled back tiredly, patted Aurora on the shoulder, and picked up the pace.

As they walked by the stairs to the observatory that separated the second and third row of rooms, Eizo noticed a figure coming down towards them. 

“My, my… Greetings, Inari-dono. It is a pleasure to see you as well, Amber Aurora-sama.”

A small and slim drow woman bowed gracefully. She gave out a reserved smile. Her eyes of a delightful mellow pink color similar to cherry blossoms, gave out a soft glow in the dimly lit hallway. She adjusted her long white wavy hair as she glanced between the two.

“I salute you Minerva-sama,” Eizo bowed.

“Greetings Minerva-sama.” 

The woman’s smile widened. 

“I’ve just finished making sure that everything is in its place inside the mansion. I’m happy to inform you that it is indeed the case. All the belongings are intact, and I could not detect any magical disturbances. Should I double-check it?” 

As she spoke, Eizo blinked out of surprise as if he saw a familiar face for a split second. 

The dark-skinned beauty wore a fitted sleeveless white vest with a high collar, which entirely exposed her delicate shoulders. It also had a separation in the middle with crisscross lacing in the neck and abdomen regions, so the thick cloth was naturally enfolding her chest with a wider gap in between. There was nothing underneath the vest, though.

Her left arm was covered by a tight leather elbow-high glove with slightly glowing arcane sigils on it. Black fitted pants, and knee-high sleek leather boots were empathizing with her long shapely legs. At this moment, as she was finishing her report, she shifted her weight from one foot to another, slightly turning her body. It was a subtle yet exquisite kind of movement.

_Don't get distracted. Why do I even care about such things?_

Eizo frowned for a second and shifted his gaze back to her face. 

“You’ve done well, Minerva-sama. If you are sure that everything’s fine, I believe it is so. You have my gratitude.”

“That is very kind of you, Inari-dono. Are you heading to your room if I may ask?”

“Yes. You are correct.”

“I shall not be in your way then,” she bowed, “If you need any assistance, please do say so. I’d be glad to provide.” 

“I hopefully will be meeting you and the others in an hour. Until then, I need to sort out some matters that require my immediate attention.”

“Understood.” She smiled at him, “Inari-dono. Amber Aurora-sama.”

“Minerva-sama,” Eizo nodded and was about to turn and leave, but stopped, “Hmm…”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Inari-dono?” Minerva’s voice was calm, but he could tell that she’s excited for the reason he couldn’t quite grasp.

“I’ve got a question for you. It’s a bit personal, so you have all the rights to leave it without an answer.”

“I’ll answer any question Inari-dono have for me.” The drow bowed deeply.

“Much appreciated. What is your opinion of me?” 

Eizo watched closely for the reaction. And best he could tell, Minerva wasn’t confused or anything. Her words and body language were filled with confidence.

“Yes. Inari-dono is the great and wise leader of the Supreme Beings. The most powerful and intelligent being in existence. The merciful and just God of Secrets that watch over this place and its denizens. The Grand Master of Oni-Daasu.”

He tried to keep his composure the best he could. God? Eizo thought it was too much, but if his character’s build was considered, it made some sense. But overall, it was an overwhelming praise. 

_Strange. It seems she perceives my character quite literally. Does she have no idea we’re human? None of them do?_

“Good. What about Aurora-san?”

“Yes. She’s the one of the Supreme Beings, thus also perfect. Unmatched in beauty, intellect, and strength as all of the creators. The magnanimous and irresistible Maiden of Lust.”

Eizo didn’t have to see Aurora’s face to understand how she felt. He quickly addressed Minerva another question to keep her attention:

“And what if somebody would see it otherwise?”

He almost physically felt the wave of anger that emitted from Minerva. The drow women kept her head down, but her hands were clenched in fists and even were shaking a little.

_What is this?_

“Those who dare to disrespect Supreme Beings shall be punished and perish. Anyone who can’t comprehend and recognize the greatness of our creators is worthless trash. May I ask if someone has angered or displeased you, Inari-dono? I’ll make sure they pay for that immediately!”

The arcane symbols on her glove were glowing intensely. Eizo was more than convinced it wasn’t simple rage. 

_She sounds like a dedicated fanatic._

“No, nothing like that,” he managed to keep his voice unchanged, “I was merely asking for your opinion on the matter. There’s no reason to be upset.”

“My deepest apologies, Inari-dono!” the powerful, menacing aura vanished as if it was never there. “It was my mistake to perceive your words in a wrong way… I beg for your forgiveness.” 

“You’re forgiven. No need to worry. I’m quite impressed with such loyalty,” Eizo wasn’t lying. Though not for the reasons NPCs could think of.

“My loyalty to the Supreme Beings as their creation is absolute.”

Those words were filled with determination. Eizo had many questions in mind. But…

_It’s better not to risk overstaying the welcome…_

“Thank you, Minerva-sama. My curiosity is fulfilled. I’m more than pleased with your words.”

“You’re too kind. It was my great pleasure to converse with the leader of the Supreme Beings.”

“Is that so… Well then. We shall leave you to your duties.”

“Take care Inari-dono, Amber Aurora-sama.”

He turned and continued walking towards the end of the hall. Aurora bowed briefly to the drow woman and followed behind.

Minerva was Lumia Septima’s creation. The very first and only one. She was made even before they bought the expansions to the guild base. Eizo couldn’t recall for sure, but he felt like Minerva had the biggest and most elaborate backstory among all the NPCs. Also, he caught a detail he wished he had imagined. But for a moment, Minerva’s expression almost perfectly matched Lumia’s. That caught him unawares.

***

The guild master’s room had a half-oval shape. It had its own magical protection on par with the conference hall situated right below it. The room was about twenty meters long, forty meters wide, and about three and a half meters high. The curved wall opposite the entrance was made of glass floor to ceiling except for two columns that separated it into three parts and the balcony's doors on the right and left side. 

A fine writing table with a fancy desk lamp was standing on the right side encircled by massive bookshelves raised to the ceiling. On the left, there was a fireplace similar to the one in the Silverwing headquarters but a more massive one. Two luxurious armchairs stood beside it. The walls on that side were covered with shelves that contained various curious things and trophies. The central space of the room was taken by a king-size bed with a canopy. A white and fluffy carpet that laid under the bed covered about two additional meters on the marble floor around it. 

Eizo stood at the entrance to the room with his arms crossed, examining the interior. The chambers felt excessively spacious for a single person and kind of empty. He never considered it being an issue while it was just a virtual space.

“The mansion is your idea, so do as you see fit…” He mumbled.

“Did you say something, Eizo-san?” Aurora wondered. She was also inspecting the environment. She’s been here previously, but this time everything felt completely different for both of them, Eizo assumed.

“No, it’s nothing,” Eizo sighed and shook his head.

_Treat her as real Aurora in case it’s really her._

“Alright. So, what have we got? The servers should be offline, but we’re still… here. Somewhere. The guild base seemingly remained unchanged. Presumably, our consciousness is inside the characters we were playing as. The main issue is that we don’t know where we are. Am I missing anything major?”

“I don’t think so. I would joke about being in an issekai… But it’s not funny in this situation. How… I mean… How could this happen? Why us?”

“I would gladly answer those questions if I had any kind of idea. To my knowledge, that is total nonsense. But there are a lot of things we do not know. Now. It is hardly a dream because there are two of us, and it is awfully consistent so far. And the NPCs…”

“They seem to have their own mind and character.”

“Yes. With all the things Minerva-san said…”

“They seemed respectful and loyal to you. You’re the guild master. But the whole Supreme Beings thing… isn’t it too much?”

Eizo fell silent for a moment. Then sighed heavily:

“Yes, it would seem so. But on the other hand…”

“Eizo-san…” Aurora’s voice forced him to look directly at her, “Your necklace…”

He froze. Among everything that happened, this detail slipped passed his consciousness. For a solid minute, they looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Oni-Daasu lived off information and rare items trade. And the most valuable items in YGGDRASIL were world-class items. The most powerful, balance breaking items with a total number of two hundred. One of those items was currently in Eizo’s possession. They discovered it five years ago and decided against trading it. Because of it, Eizo was able to continue the exploration even when all members of his guild were offline. Other than providing a significant stat boost, it possessed an incredible quality.

Commonly custom NPCs created by players were bound to the guild base. Yet the _Repository of Mists_ did not follow that rule. It had the [Bound existence] and [Unbound] abilities, which appeared to work only with friendly custom NPCs through experimentation. The level limit was determined as player level times five. So, in the case of a level one hundred character, the level pool the _Repository of Mists_ could carry was five hundred. Additionally, the absorbed levels were subtracted from the used levels of the player base pool. 

The ability of this item had a week cooldown for binding and unbinding NPCs. There were also [Summon] and [Dismiss] spells with a short cast time and a forty-meter range. 

As both of them remained, motionless Aurora’s eyes were now fixed on Eizo’s neck. Covered by his red scarf, there was a peanut size sphere encompassed in silvery leaf ornament and filled with swirling mint-colored fog. At that moment, there were five level one hundred NPCs inside of it. And the question that appeared out of that realization was with the fact that their creations seemed to possess some kind of consciousness… were they able to hear their conversations being inside the world-class item?

Eizo raised his hand with the index finger up, then turned and quickly paced through the room to the window. 

They couldn’t ignore that and continue talking. Eizo glanced outside, then back at his friend. Aurora clearly understood his intentions. Her hand was resting on the hilt of her sword. They couldn’t speak freely as players if there was a chance they could be heard. 

Besides, bound NPCs were a significant force he couldn’t toss away. In the current situation, they could be incredibly valuable. Unequipping the necklace was risky as well. He wasn’t sure what could happen.

“[Summon: Steve]”

The mist escaped the sphere on his neck and swirled to the floor, taking the shape of a medium dog-sized creature. Its visage was almost comical. It looked like a fluffy white cloud on four stick-like legs with three digits each. It literally looked like something a kid would draw with a pencil without much effort. It had no prominent head or neck. Just two round black eyes in front of its oval body and a bun tail on the rear.

It looked a bit confused for a moment, tilted its body upward to look at Eizo, then clunkily turned to face Aurora and let out a surprised “Moo” sound. And that was a deep bass “Moo”.

Though it didn’t make sense, Eizo clearly understood that it meant “Can I be of service?”. That was confusing, but at the moment, he didn’t have the luxury to think about it.

“Steve. Do you remember what happened just now?”

“Moo. Moo-Moo… Moo?” [Yes. We were collecting ores and gems in a cave. Did something happen?]

Eizo remembered exactly what he was talking about. Indeed, the last time he summoned Steve in a location rich with raw materials. That what the primary strength of Steve’s build. To gather anything of value in high quantities and fast.

While Eizo was taking field notes in his diary and figuring out what to do next, he would most likely let Steve to “go for a walk”. Upon Steve reaching his inventory’s limit, Eizo just let him dump everything gathered to the guild’s storage. For Eizo, it became a habit, so for the last two years, it was getting ridicules as no one actively used the materials in such quantities anymore. Basically, Steve was an ultimate resource vacuum cleaner.

“Well… Yes,” Eizo nodded, “But first, let me gather the others.”

“[Summon: Obsidian]”

The emerald mist escaped his necklace once again. This time the creature that appeared in front of him was almost three meters high. It was a warrior in pitch black gleaming full plate armor head to toe carrying an enormous tear-shaped golden shield of a weird texture and a massive lance. Upon closer inspection, the shield appeared to be a singular scale of some giant creature that had a Nordic rune of protection inlayed in its center cast from a silver-ish metal. 

The armor itself was composed of numerous perfect fitted smooth plates. There was an extra layer of protection on the warrior’s right arm. There was a circular opening with a sleek gemstone in the center of the armor that radiated an intense magical glow that gradually shifted from blue to purple and back. So did the eye slits of a centurion-style helmet.

“[Summon: Leonard Eisenmann]”

The figure that appeared next was much smaller and slimmer. A green-skinned humanoid with a prominent pointy nose and ears. He was standing straight, attired in Victorian style brown coat with a single epaulet on the left shoulder adorned with a translucent red hemisphere, light brown vest, and light scarf. The lower part of his body was covered by dark-brown pants and heavy leather boots. He held a remarkable hunting rifle against his right shoulder. A steam-punk binocular magnifying glasses rested on top of his forehead over his short black slicked-back hair. The hobgoblin was smiling sarcastically with his blue eyes shining with admirable intellect.

“[Summon: Sophia Chianti]” 

The third to appear was a woman. Her skin of a gray-blue stormy sky color was covered by chains of arcane inscriptions that tangled her limbs and torso akin to ribbons. They gave out a faint, constantly shifting blue glow that was noticeable even in the well-lit room. Her breasts and private parts were hidden under blue silk lingerie with golden edging. Soft and mostly translucent blue gauze top and pants with delicate folds covered her chest and lower body, leaving her belly region open to view. An immense amount of jewelry adorned her elongated ears, fingers, wrists, ankles, and neck. She wore no shoes as she was hovering about ten centimeters above the ground. The djinn’s long and curly black hair was pulled back by two front strands gathered in a thin ponytail. Her eyes had no pupils, and the irises looked like reflective liquid gold. 

[Summon: Inari Karen]

The last of Eizo’s NPCs was a girl whose facial features were reminiscent of his own. Bright blue eyes, long white hair gathered in a thick loose braid. The dark-green hooded cloak she was wearing covered most or her body. She wore a fitted green vest adorned with dainty silver embroidery and edging. The same goes for her pants and boots. Though the boots seemed to be made of a different material that was slightly iridescent. Her hands holding a long curved wooden staff were protected by strapped dark leather gloves with masterful silver inlays.

“Now…” Eizo crossed his arms and frowned a bit, looking at each of the NPCs.

“Inari-dono!” The sound of a woman’s voice echoed unnaturally through the room. It seemed like the same person was speaking at several similar yet different pitches at the same time. Akin to the synthetical harmony effect. 

The massive figure in black armor kneeled down before him and bowed its head, laying the lance on the floor. Four other figures followed suit. Steve did his best to imitate the motion, retracting his legs and lying flat on the floor, looking up at Eizo with his unmoving black eyes like an inanimate plushy toy. 

“We’re honored to be in your presence! We would be more than happy to be of service!” the voice continued. It was hard not to be surprised. Eizo never heard Obsidian speaking and never thought of how an arcane golem should sound like. 

“Is that so…” 

He fell silent. Then paced around the NPCs and stopped right behind their backs. They remained silent and did not dare to move in the slightest. Half a minute later, he turned to Aurora and started walking towards her. His guildmate nodded slightly. He felt like his senses were in overdrive. 

He was ready to summon his weapons at any moment necessary. 

Aurora was ready to come to his aid in a split second. 

But no sound or sign of movement could be perceived. 

Eizo was the only one moving.

He stopped halfway through the room, and after a brief pause, he gestured Aurora to come closer. She nodded and started walking towards him, trying her best to keep her calm. Her eyes were now fixed on the five kneeled down figures behind Eizo. She stopped right in front of the guild master and shifted her gaze to his face. Eizo could tell she was stressed but couldn’t help to admire her spirit’s strength. She was just a little girl thrown by the hand of fate in a situation not a single soul could be prepared for.

_If it’s really you, Aurora-san…_

The omnipresent silence took the air. Eizo was looking at Aurora, listening, and thinking about possible outcomes of the situation. Suddenly the silence was disturbed by the knock on the door.

“Eek!” Aurora couldn’t hold a surprised gasp and went red immediately after.

Eizo smiled gently at her.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a figure walked in.

“Inari-dono your t…” Christian stopped mid-sentence, “I profusely apologize for the bad timing…” The elf bowed deeply.

“Don’t worry. It’s fine,” Eizo replied calmly, still looking at Aurora, tracking Cristian’s movements with his peripheral vision, “What is it you were about to say?”

“Understood. Your tea is ready.” 

“Leave it on the table. And thank you. Much appreciated.” 

“Yes.”

Christian snapped his fingers, and a small imp that was hovering in the corridor passed him the tray. The drow walked through the room in complete silence, placed the cups on the desk, then returned back to the door and left. A few moments passed in silence after the door closed behind the butler. Finally, Eizo gave out a slight encouraging smile to Aurora and gestured to follow him. They walked back to the group of NPCs that were still kneeling down in silence and stopped in front of them.

“Before we talk, answer me this. Do you trust me?” Eizo felt a confused look Aurora gave him.

“Yes!” The answer came immediately from all of the NPCs.

“Even if I said that white is black and the water is dry?”

“If Inari-dono says so, then it is true,” Obsidian replied with no hesitation. 

“Moo,” [Yes] Steve replied.

Karen remained silent. Both Sophia and Leonard raised their heads slightly to meet his gaze. Eizo did not even flinch. His face was completely indifferent. 

“If Inari-dono said something, it would be for a reason,” Sophia’s voice was smooth and very pleasant like a soft breeze.

“Mhm. Agreed. Boss knows what he’s doin…” high-pitched and extremely hoarse voice of the hobgoblin scratched the air.

“What about you, Karen-san?” Eizo averted his gaze to the girl.

“I would not dare to question Inari-dono words,” Karen’s voice was captivating, almost melodic. 

_Interesting. Their reactions are so different… This is too complex for a constructed virtual world. Though it is madness… What if it is real?_

“Good. Then listen. We are in a complicated situation,” he walked towards the window and stopped, staring outside with a blank expression, “The details of which I will discuss later when others arrive. The biggest issue for me right now is that Aurora-san and I are the only guild members present. And there is no confirmation on whether it’s going to stay like that.” 

“My apologies Inari-dono,” Karen’s voice was filled with anxiety, “Could you please explain the last part?”

“That means that I have no information on how and why exactly this happened,” Eizo elaborated calmly, “If it was a natural cause or someone did this. There are too many variables and no clues. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Inari-dono. My apologies.”

“With that… I have something to speak about with you specifically.” He sighed and walked back to them, stopped a meter away, and look down at kneeling NPCs, “Raise your heads.” 

All as one followed his order. He glanced over the eyes that looked upon him with nothing but admiration excitement.

_Such loyalty… I should be careful testing them._

“Would you protect me with your life if such need arises?”

“That is what we were created for, Inari-dono,” Sophia answered. Other nodded.

_You are not wrong per se… But generally speaking, that’s an unhealthy way of thinking. Hmm…_

“This is my personal request. I want you to protect Aurora-san the way you would protect me. Even if I’m no longer around.”

“Eizo-san?” the subject of his words was surprised and concerned, “What do you mean?”

“Let me finish Aurora-san,” he smiled gently to his guildmate. She was at a loss, couldn’t find the words to speak. Eizo turned back to the NPCs, “Promise me that you will protect her.”

“I…” first to react was Karen. She, as well as Leonard and Sophia, were shocked by his words. Obsidian and Steve were too hard to read, but he assumed they were in a similar state. Although he remained silent, waiting for the answer.

“I understand,” finally said Sophia and smiled softly, “You have my word Inari-dono. I’ll do anything it takes to keep Aurora-sama safe.”

“You have my word as well, boss,” Leonard grinned, “Anything it takes.”

“Moo.” [I promise] 

“So shall it be. I promise to protect Aurora-sama with all my might,” Obsidian’s voice boomed through the air.

“I… I promise…” Karen’s voice weakened and died. Eizo stood silent. She stared at the floor for a solid minute before she finally spoke again, “I promise to protect Aurora-sama.”

“Thank you. This means a lot to me,” Eizo slowly bowed to the NPCs. They were about to protest, but he raised an open palm, stopping them, “Now. We’ll need all the strength we can muster in the current situation. I need time to prepare for the meeting and not much time left at this point. I would like you to wait for me in the ballroom.”

“Understood,” Obsidian spoke for everyone.

“Thank you. You may go now,” Eizo nodded.

Five creatures stood up almost at the same time, bowed, and marched out of the room. Eizo expected Karen to glance at him, but she didn’t. She was created as the only daughter of the character named Inari Eizo. It was Nekomusume’s wish.

_Interesting… They actually feel like living beings._

It was still hard to believe that it was real. Who would ever predict such a thing happening to them if at all? 

But what was now apparent to Eizo is that settings, the backstory, and classes seemed to form the core of the creatures that used to occupy some memory on the server as virtual creations. He still had doubts, but they were slowly dying out.

Sophia was the last to leave the room. The djinn smiled at Eizo just as she closed the door. He was stunned for a second with how humane that smile was.

They were left alone with Aurora.

“Eizo-san… why…” she was genuinely confused.

“I was testing the waters. And so far, I’d say we’re safe among the NPCs,” He gave her a quick smile, “I’m not planning on dying anytime soon, but I’m not ignorant. All things got a shared tendency to end. But there’s no point in dwelling on that. Any kind of insurance is better than nothing.”

“But… Please don’t scare me like that again…” Aurora asked politely. She sniffed subtly in a cute way. 

“I’ll try not to,” he placed his hand on her shoulder, “But I can’t promise that. You’re strong, Aurora-san, I know that for a fact. And you’re brave. I’ve seen that many times…”

“That was different…”

“For it was a video game?”

“Yes… I don’t know what I would do if I was here alone…” 

“You would be fine,” he said confidently, “You should trust yourself more.”

“I… I honestly doubt that” Aurora giggled nervously, “I’m amazed you’re handling the situation with such confidence…”

_It might cause a disaster if I tried to prove my initial assumptions by trying to tear presumable illusion apart. If it’s really you, Aurora, I’m sorry you’re stuck here with me. I will get to the bottom of this… I hope so…_

“Well. I have to. You would do the same in my position. Besides, there are a lot of parallels between games and real life. But you got the point. They are different. It’s a fatal mistake to take one for another…” he sighed lightly with a faint smile, “But anyway... Now we can finally talk freely.”

“Yes…”

“Tea?”

“Yes!”…


	2. The Beast and the Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the amazing game of YGGDRASIL, any kind of person could pursue his wishes in a vast fantasy world. The newbies, the regulars, the hardcore, all of them took part in this adventure. But when it came to the end, who remained there to say goodbye to this amazing world players could only dream about a mere hundred years ago? For someone, it wasn't just a hobby. Not just a game. But a passion, a history, their journey alongside others. Such people could not leave until the very end. Some of them were there only to discover that the end of the game became the start of a new journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming here. I hope you'll enjoy the story even though the canon characters might not appear in this side story at all. I would be really glad to get your feedback if you enjoyed or disliked the chapter. I want to improve and this work takes a lot of time and effort, your words might help me with both. Thank you again. Have a nice time with the story and a nice day.

****

**Chapter 2 “The beast and the beauty”**

Sophia was the last to enter, and the door silently closed behind her as she slightly flicked her wrist.

The djinn looked over her companions with curiosity.

“Now we wait.” Obsidian’s mighty voice rumbled through the interior. The warrior walked through the room and stopped by the stairs of the foyer. She stood motionless like a hollow suit of rare armor.

“Well, duh!” Leonard, who was walking next to her, threw up his unoccupied arm in a vague manner and settled on the steps with his rifle on his knees, “And here I thought you weren’t paying attention. I’m genuinely impressed.”

Obsidian turned her head slightly in the direction of the hobgoblin and let out a deep sigh.

“Moo. Moo.” [Don’t fight. It’s pointless.]

Steve laid flat on the floor beside the staircase, like a silly plushy toy some kid forgot amidst the spacious ballroom.

“Oh no, Steve, no one’s fighting,” the hobgoblin chuckled, “Yet.”

Sophia flew steadily through the ballroom towards her companions, looking at Karen, who stood aside at the closest window. She couldn’t see the girl’s face, and that was worrying her a little.

“Are you testing my patience green-skin?” there was a slight irritation in Obsidian’s voice but no signs of direct aggression.

“I’d like to do so if there was any,” Leonard smirked as he adjusted the collar of his coat. He returned the gaze of his witty blue eyes towards the golem, “Our master asked us non-trivial questions, and you did not bother to spend even a couple of seconds thinking.”

“What master says is true. What master asks, we do. Am I wrong?” the glow of the golem’s eyes and core intensified.

Sophia crossed her arms and smiled, observing their little squabble.

“No…” Leonard sighed and dragged his palm over his face.

“Then I don’t see your point,” the golem returned her body to its original position, having decided that the conversation is over.

“Moo. Moo.” [See. Pointless.]

“Our master is wise!” the hobgoblin threw his hands in frustration, “You got to try and understand what he’s truly saying.” Leonard seemed mildly aggravated.

“Oh? So, you claim to understand our maker? Grand Master himself?” Obsidian questioned mockingly.

“I didn’t say that!” the hobgoblin barked and snarled, “Your attitude is simply disrespectful to master’s wisdom. Are you not…”

“Leonard, dear,” Sophia spoke softly. Blue eyes of the hobgoblin averted to her in slight irritation, “I don’t think master was displeased with her answer. Diana is a warrior and belongs to the frontline. She has to react fast, with determination. Such is her credo. I feel like Inari-dono understands that. Would you counter my assumption?”

“Well…” Leonard scratched the back of his head, grimaced, and sighed in defeat, “I can’t say that you’re wrong, Blueberry. But still… we were not on a battlefield…”

“I’m going to think about it. Satisfied?” Obsidian tone was genuine and calm.

“Hmm…” Leonard fell silent, musing about something. He stroked his goatee a few times, looking sideways at the back of the golems helm. Finally, he nodded, “A’ight. That’ll do.”

Sophia couldn’t help but smile, looking at them. But her smile subsided as she turned to the one of her team who remained silent since they left Grand Master’s chambers.

“Is there something wrong, princess?” the djinn raised her hand slightly but hesitated.

Karen flinched, hurriedly turned around and bowed, holding her staff close to the body.

“My apologies Sophia-sama. I didn’t mean to worry you,” the girl straightened and looked sideways, “I… I just can’t stop thinking about master’s words…”

“If I may, what exactly is bothering you, Inari-sama?” Sophia slightly tilted her head with a faint smile and her hand together.

“Weren’t you scared when he mentioned the possibility of him not being around?” Karen looked directly at djinn then glanced over the others.

Silence spoke better than words. Of course, they feared being abandoned by their master. Sophia sighed and crossed her arms:

“I think it wasn’t about him leaving us. He’s just very kind and benevolent. He cares about Amber Aurora-sama as he cared for each and every of the Supreme Beings. Our master stayed and looked over his domain even when other Supreme Beings abandoned it. Amber Aurora-sama is the only one who stayed with him…”

“I understand that… But I’m afraid to think about what would happen if…”

“We all are princess,” Obsidian spoke softly. For the first time, her voice wasn’t thundering. It was still distorted but felt strangely calming.

“True.” Leonard nodded and ran his fingers through his hair, “A world without Grand Master… that’s horrific…”

“Moo.” [Yes]

“That is truly terrifying, yes.” Sophia sighed, “But we can’t just tremble in fear. That would be pathetic, wouldn’t it?”

“But what do we do? Can we do something to ensure he’ll stay?” Karen’s voice was weak and filled with sorrow. Her small pretty face twisted with painful gloom.

“Make sure we won’t disappoint him,” Sophia moved forward. She gently lifted Karen’s chin with her fingertips and looked the girl in the eyes, “We have to work hard following his guidance to prove our worth. That’s how I would answer your question.”

“Righteous words, Sophia-sama!” Obsidian became so excited that she lifted her massive shield and struck the ground. The impact sound bounced around the ballroom and died out. Gladly the floor was able to withstand Obsidian’s might, “I can’t wait to receive my next order. I’ll do anything Inari-dono commands.”

The anxiety on Karen’s pretty face remained for a bit but eventually gave way to understanding.

“Yes. Thank you, Sophia-sama.”

“Don’t mention it, princess,” djinn smiled and gently stroke the girl’s cheek. Karen smiled back and nodded slightly.

“Aren't you being overly familiar with our princess, Blueberry?” Leonard chuckled.

“I’m not sure…” a perplexed look took over Sophia’s face. She retracted her hand and gazed into Karen’s eyes, “I just felt like doing so. Does my behavior displease you, princess?”

“Not at all. I feel like I needed it…” the girl responded shyly, though she did not avert her eyes. Her smile became more confident.

“Hmm… I see.” Sophia nodded. She encompassed her chin with her fingertips and went silent.

“Oh. What a surprise…” All of them simultaneously turned their heads to the owner of the gentle voice that appeared on top of the staircase.

“Arcanist Minerva, a pleasure to meet you.” Sophia smiled widely.

“Pleasure is mine as well, enchantress Sophia,” the drow nodded regally, “My regards, Inari-sama. Leonard, Obsidian, Steve.”

The girl bowed respectfully. Leonard and Obsidian nodded respectfully. Steve popped up and dropped back down.

“It’s a rare sight to see Grand Master’s personal guards by themselves. Have you abandoned Inari-dono?”

“We’re following his order,” Leonard snarled.

“That is true,” Obsidian turned to the drow, “We would gladly be by his side. But…”

The dark elf raised an eyebrow and curled her lips.

“So, that’s what happened…” Minerva mused.

“Do you know something we don’t?” Karen wondered.

Sophia frowned, so did Leonard.

“Indeed. Let me explain,” Minerva replied calmly as she started pacing down the stairs holding herself nobbily.

“I spoke to Luna-sama and Christian. Something happened. As far as I understood, it made Inari-dono uneasy. The Silverwing Refuge is surrounded by unknown territory,” the drow stopped near Leonard, “I had an interesting conversation with Grand Master not so long ago. He asked me what I would feel towards someone who would dare to disrespect the greatness and power of the Supreme Beings.”

“I see…” Sophia held out.

“Why would he ask that?” Karen seemed quite puzzled.

“Are you implying that Inari-dono doubts our loyalty?” Leonard hissed as he stood up. Even with Minerva being about average height, he was still a little smaller in stature.

Minerva paid no heed to it. She looked at him, musing about something.

“That’s a possibility. Maybe not your loyalty in particular. I would assume Inari-dono wished for some privacy with Amber Aurora-sama.” The gaze of drow’s mellow pink eyes traveled to Sophia.

Upon hearing that, Karen lowered her head so no one could see her face under the hood.

“Master also spoke of some kind of meeting coming. You know about that?” Sophia wondered with a concerned look on her face.

“Yes.” Minerva nodded, “He ordered everyone to gather here in an hour.”

“Interesting…” Sophia declared thoughtfully, “That is truly interesting…”

***

The moonlight penetrated the thick forest canopy making puddles of illumination in overwhelming darkness. But for him, the night was an ally. Moving swiftly through the undergrowth, making no more sound than the leaves’ whisper, he and his people were traveling home. A fruitful night.

Though they couldn’t cause as much damage as he hoped for, yet they did more than just disrupting humans’ supply line. He knew that he might have taken too much risk. But it paid off. While the Great Hunters were away, he was the one responsible for the defense of this part of the Great Forest.

One of the scouts appeared in the line of sight and signaled to him using sign language. He responded with a confirmation gesture. Yes, it was about time they should catch up with the other group responsible for carrying the goods they could take from Theocracy’s supply caravan.

Upon reaching the meeting point, he immediately stopped. The group he assigned for transportation was surrounded by a party of elves in superior armor and clothing. Their weapons were on par with his, probably even better. Among them stood a woman accompanied by a black panther. Her gaze fixed on him. About a minute passed until everyone from his squad came in sight. The woman signed to continue moving. He confirmed.

All the elves moved as one, except for the woman with the panther. He didn’t move either until she made a gesture. Most of their people were already out of sight, lost between the trees. He walked up to her.

A swift jab almost made him fall to the ground. But she did not let him fall, catching him by the collar. The next second, her forehead bumped into his.

His jaw was pulsing with pain. His head was spinning slightly. But he was focused on the eyes that were too close to him. They were fueled with anger. But there was also a hint of concern even though she tried to hide it. He knew those eyes too well. Every time he saw them, it felt like he was looking at two persons at ones as the left one was mellow green, the right – reddish-brown, cherry colored. The mark of royal blood.

Her breathing was intense and slipped into barely audible growls from time to time. He could feel her scent. The warmth of her every breath. Their lips were close, but not close enough.

He couldn’t think of how he should behave. He wasn’t expecting any of Great Hunters to come. He wasn’t expecting HER to come. Yet she was right there in front of him. Pissed off by his actions. He knew what he did wrong in the current context. But still, he received no messages in weeks. If anything, he thought they were left by themselves as too much trouble transpired to the north. They both knew that.

All he was trying to do is buy as much time as he could for his town that became the southern outpost. That involved risk. He took it.

He thought of trying to comfort her but restrained himself. He was lower in ranks beside her being royalty. Even though their relations could be called warm in private. Making it public could cause trouble for both. And they all had enough to deal with these days.

She sank her hand into his hair as she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

That was a bit too much. Was she that worried about him, or was there something else going on? Although he tried to stay calm, a lousy feeling grew inside of him. She was a warrior, a Great Huntress honored by her people. With him, a man she shared the night sky with, she barely showed weakness.

He wasn’t a fool to think that he was the only one. Great Hunters had the privilege.

Was she that desperate? What has happened?

He felt like she was about to move closer, but instead, she pushed away and turned around. She stood silent. The panther walked around the Great Huntress, dragging her head and back against her master’s thighs and waist. Was she trying to comfort the woman?

A brief gesture. The Great Huntress strode away in the direction their people went.

He was confused to the point he didn’t realize he ignored the order and remained in place. The Huntress stopped to look at him over the shoulder. He couldn’t read her expression.

He made an effort to calm his mind and started walking. They were still in the forest. Even though the Huntress’s companion would signal them of any danger, it was unreasonable to let their guard down.

But… what happened?

He followed the Great Huntress, keeping an eye on the surroundings. Every time he looked at her back, he felt extremely uneasy. He didn’t know something. Something important.

***

Aurora was walking by Eizo’s side down the stairs. Though she looked calm, her thoughts were grim.

“I have nothing to return to. I’m not sure if there is a way back…”

Eizo’s words resonated with her. YGGDRASIL was the reason she was able to live through her life issues. Oni-Daasu were the friends and family she did not have in real life.

Nekomusume and Tomei ware like sisters she never had. Lumia gave her advice and supported her like a caring mother would do. Everyone else were very nice to her. Even Rusty Crusty, the noisy and energetic troublemaker for most of the time, was a person she felt she could trust. They all cared for each other. Aurora never got that before and did not have an idea how important that was.

Eizo… he felt really different than the other. If she could think of a single word to describe him, it would be “sensei.” He was kind but distant. It should’ve been due to his condition.

_Yet now… what would happen?_

Away from the rest of the family, she knew. The only one left was Eizo. He seemed the same… but more intense. Now when she could see his eyes and facial expressions or lack of such, he made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She felt naked before him. Like he was able to see through her with no effort. Even if he looked in a different direction, she felt his ever-present attention.

_He’s just stressed as I am… I can’t blame him… He’s dealing with this, and I’m just… useless…_

They came down to the corridor that separated the ballroom and the conference hall. Aurora glanced at Eizo. She did not understand what was going on inside his mind. Several times while all of this was happening, she felt like a strange external force calmed her down when she was ready to freak out.

Did Eizo experience this? She was afraid to ask it directly. Was he able to control his emotions to that extent? Aurora felt shame for not being good enough, thinking about that possibility.

Christian was waiting for them at the entrance to the ballroom. As they approached, he bowed and opened the door for them. A small imp that was silently hovering by his side bowed his head as well.

“Thank you,” Eizo’s calm voice made her relax a little bit. But just for a moment.

She has been to school and university meetings and such. They made her anxious, but the current environment was on a whole new level. If not for Eizo, she was probably going to be terrified. His presence alone was soothing for her. His action and words were reassuring as well. She was genuinely glad that such a person was her guild master.

The fact that Eizo retained his composure and attitude even in these circumstances was truly amazing… even a bit scary.

_Stop thinking that way! He’s doing everything he can! I must do the same!_

The ballroom was giant. The biggest room in the mansion. It was well lit by a cascade of gigantic chandeliers. Unlike the hallways, this room was welcoming and cheery.

Heavy red curtains and beautiful airy tulle adorned tall windows. Four wide doors, two on each side, led to the gardens around the mansion. The floors of white marble were inlaid with black geometrical patterns around the central circle, which encompassed the guild’s symbol.

The first thing noticeable was the general air in the room. It was silent.

Aurora glanced over to Eizo as they walked towards the center, but he focused on the ones before him. Right. They can’t show weakness. That what he told her. Aurora gathered all the courage she could muster. She couldn’t let him down.

Eizo stepped into the central circle and halted. So did Aurora. She straightened her posture with her hand behind her back and the other on the hilt of her sword, keeping her head up. She remembered Lumia’s suggestions on how to look confident. Though she was frightened, she did her best to keep the image.

As Eizo asked, all the level one hundred NPCs were gathered in here except for Einarr and Rei. Aurora noticed that they roughly grouped respectively to the locations they occupied.

They were all here. Alive. The idea of those creatures being alive was unsettling. What was their way of thinking? What to expect of them? What do they know about players and the game? What do they expect of them? Of her?

Christian, who closed the door and followed a little behind by Eizo’s other side, positioned himself a few steps away and addressed the audience:

“The Grand Master and leader of the Supreme Beings Inari Eizo-dono and the Great Mistress of Lust Amber Aurora-sama.”

All the eyes were upon them from the moment they walked in, and by the end of Christian’s introduction, every single NPC was kneeling down, bowing their heads.

Aurora’s eyes went through all of them and stopped at one particular person. The human-looking man with sickly pale yet smooth skin and straight silver hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were covered by a silk blindfold. The hems of his heavy black and silver coat with a very high collar were spread upon the floor around him.

Solomon Drake, her creation, was right in front of her. More alive than she ever thought he could be. Even though technically he was an undead creature.

Aurora blinked as she understood something. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts for a moment that she almost missed it.

_What… what was my introduction again?_

A wave of heat reached her face. It took her an extreme amount of effort to keep a straight expression. There was just too much rushing through her head.

“First of all, thank you all for answering my call,” Eizo’s calm voice rang out in the overwhelming silence. It helped Aurora to come out of the chaos her consciousness was a moment ago.

“It’s only natural as we’re in unpayable debt to the Supreme Beings,” Minerva spoke up. She was in front of the others, probably because the mansion was her domain. Aurora wasn’t sure, but it was the first thing that came to mind, “I’m filled with unending gratitude for being in your presence Inari-dono.”

“That could be said for all of us, isn’t it?” Very low, powerful, and intimidating filled the air.

The one to speak was Gilzanash, the giant anthropomorphic lizard of prime draconic descent with metallic plates forming a resemblance of a crown on the head. His neck was incredibly thick, and body so massive it could rival Obsidian’s form even though he wore almost no armor. His thick dark-grey hide gave out a metallic shine forming protective plates and protrusions all over his body. The massive tail of the dragonblood ended with a long triangular jagged blade tip.

His words provoked a wave of agreement among the NPCs. Aurora noticed Solomon nodding silently.

“Everyone off your knees!” Eizo’s voice was firm and demanding. All of the NPCs stood straight. Aurora noticed some confused looks among them. She felt a cold sensation creeping up her back. But stood motionless with face unchanged.

Eizo squared his shoulders, clasping the hands behind his back. 

“I’m the guild master of Oni-Daasu, one of the greatest guilds of explorers YGGDRASIL has ever known. Every single member was my close friend. And I don’t say it lightly. I’m truly grateful that Aurora-san is still here by my side.”

Though he said that, he didn’t turn, focusing his speech on the NPCs.

“Each member of Oni-Daasu is a family to me. And you… are our legacy.”

Eizo glanced at Christian at his side, looked over those in front of him.

“Proof of our adventures and discoveries. Years of experimentation and research. So, I have to ask…”

He made another brief pause.

“Are you willing to accept my leadership and inherit your creators’ spirit? Are you willing to prove that I was correct to choose them as my family? Will you stand proudly by my side in their absence and protect the good name of Oni-Daasu?”

Silence took the room for a moment.

“There’s no doubt about it!” Helios declared firmly. The elf rounded his shoulders with a confident smile on his scarred face. His pose radiated a sense of determination.

“Yes!” Minerva, along with the others, was visibly in awe. Her face was brightened with a gentle smile of pure happiness as she elegantly brought her right hand to the center of her chest and lowered her head, “We pledge our allegiance to you, the wise leader of the Supreme Beings. It is an honor for us.”

Aurora was stunned for a moment, as the other NPCs followed Minerva’s example. But that was not what really surprised her.

She turned to Eizo and lowered her head as well.

They talked about it beforehand. In the current situation, defined leadership was crucial. Aurora did not question Eizo’s authority, but they couldn’t be certain about the NPCs. She agreed to play along, why would she deny him?

But Eizo’s voice and words chosen carried such power and inspiration she genuinely felt like doing so regardless.

She was so fearful of the circumstances she actually forgot how charismatic Eizo could be if it was necessary. Yet now it felt even more so. And that baffled her. 

“Good. I accept it. Do your best! I count on you.”

“Yes!” unified voices echoed through the conference hall. It took Aurora a second to recognize that she said it too.

“I will do all things necessary to take care of you in return. That I can promise you,” the hall went silent once again. Eizo paused for a couple of seconds, “Now. We’ve got apparent trouble at our doorstep. Due to an unknown event, the Silverwing Refuge was moved to an unknown location. What’s our current status, Helios-sama?”

“Yes. There appears to be no immediate threat to the Silverwing Refuge Inari-dono.” Helios reported readily. His voice was a little bit harsh, but it only added to his look of a long-lived swordsman, “No enemy spotted in the vicinity.”

Luna stood by Helios’s side, behind them – Telvie and Juno.

Telvie was a much younger elf. He looked like he was about Aurora’s age, but he could technically be much older as an elf. Besides, he had the looks of an idol. Telvie had an extremely handsome young face, long golden hair, and bright green eyes. In his masterful elven ranger attire, Telvie could pass for an insanely professional cosplayer at an anime convention. He looked a bit gloomy, though.

_Was he always like that?_

“Ibuki-san?” Aurora's gaze skipped to the grey oni Eizo addressed.

“No one came in or out of the Inner Sanctum except for Luna-sama while I was there. When I was told to be on guard, I hoped I could crash some skulls, but sadly no one came to play. I’m a bit disappointed.” this voice could belong to a regular woman in her mid-thirties. It was energetic and cheerful. But in current reality, it belonged to the third-largest creature in the room.

“Understood. I’ll consider your words.” Eizo nodded, “Any trouble at the Inner Sanctum?”

“Yes. The Inner Sanctum is safe, Inari-dono.”

Aurora was taken aback by the sound of Siv’s voice. It sounded like tens of small bells were ringing together, forming the speech. The dryad glimpsed in Aurora’s direction as if she had sensed her confusion. Aurora was quick enough to slightly shake her head. Siv nodded and looked back at Eizo:

“Mmm… Yes. Einarr and his children did not sense any danger.”

Aurora always liked Siv. Although she possessed a near-perfect female form, her overall look definitely stood out. She was completely green and yellow. A plant fey. The armor she wore was made to look like a part of her body. Instead of hair, dryad’s head carried long lush leaves. Her eerie gleaming yellow irises looked particularly inhuman, yet captivating for some reason. She had so many tiny details to her body and armor that even simply looking at her was mesmerizing.

Umisen’yamasen, Siv’s and Einarr’s creator was such a meticulous person it scared Aurora sometimes, but the results of his work were always awe-inspiring. Hisuiken was so excited to work with them that he took a two-week break from the game and slept two days after that marathon. But he was thrilled with the final result. Umisen’yamasen found it acceptable, which was a high praise coming from this really grumpy person.

Gilzanash towered over Siv like a rock. She looked petite comparing to his hulking body.

“Good to know. What about the towers?”

“The Library is secure Inari-dono,” A gurgling echoing voice rang out. It also sounded like someone was speaking on the inhale. Aurora felt legitimately creeped out upon hearing it.

That was the keeper of the Abyssal tower. An undead illithid. Illithilich. Aurora had massive troubles pronouncing the name GreenTeaParty gave his creation. At least she knew how to write it. It was Nyal’Shghilth. It was a tall and slim scary looking creature with an elongated bald head, menacingly glowing orange eyes, and six long tentacles protruding from its nose and mouth region. The light grey skin of this monster was uncomfortably dry with wrinkles and cracks. His robes of black, grey, and gold were adorned with skulls and runic patterns.

Nyal’Shghilth was both impressive and revolting to look at. Aurora couldn’t tell which feeling was stronger.

Next to him stood a medium-height tanned black-haired man with curled horns on his head. He smiled widely, noticing Aurora’s gaze, and waved discreetly. He was wearing an attire so complex Aurora couldn’t even adequately describe. It consisted of several layers of robes, an insane amount of jewelry, several small pouches, and tools on the belt. He looked back at Eizo and assumed a proper posture. Aurora heard the clack of his hoof.

That was Bestubara’s creation, a faun with a very memorable name. Dr. Fancy Beard. And to do him justice, the faun’s beard was indeed quite fancy.

“Everything was in its place the moment I left Inari-dono.”

Aurora shivered. Her attention switched to the owner of the charming and smooth baritone. It was a pale human that appeared to be a little over twenty with long dark hair and a nice goatee. Dressed in a Victorian white shirt with laces, black trousers, and matte black shoes. A necklace with a sleek tear-shaped orange gem rested on his semi-exposed chest. He could be mistaken for a mere human if not for completely black fiendish eyes.

Their gazes locked. Somehow, she felt it. And the weird feeling young man’s visage invoked in Aurora sparked with a doubled intensity. She felt uncomfortably hot. A brief low growl was born in her chest against her will.

Eizo turned his head slightly and looked at her sideways.

“Aurora-san?”

“It’s nothing!” she tried to keep her voice calm. But her cheeks were burning.

_What was that? Why am I reacting so weird? This is so embarrassing!_

“Is that so… Well then.” Eizo cleared his throat and turned back to the NPCs.

_This is so bad! I need to calm down! I can’t fail Eizo-san!_

She was frantically going through the things they discussed.

“Now. Seems like we’re safe for now. But I’ll ask you to stay vigilant. We need to be sure that everything’s functioning properly. If something unexpected happens, please do let me know. That is my general request. Helios-sama.”

“Yes,” the elf lowered his head.

“You’re going to be in charge of The Ledge’s defenses. Luna-sama will remain at your side. I assign Leonard to you as well.”

“Understood. Thank you, Grand Master.”

“Got it, boss.” The hobgoblin saluted.

“Next. Obsidian, I’ll ask you to assist Ibuki-san protecting the Inner Sanctum’s gates.”

“Yes, Grand Master.”

“Sophia-sama, Minerva-sama, I’ll task you with fortifying the Crypts’ defenses with magic barriers and traps.”

“Yes!” both ladies replied.

“Cristian-san, Nyal-sama, maximize the amount of summons for your respective zone’s protection. Siv, convey this request to Einarr as well.”

“Yes!”

“Steve, please assort and revise all the materials we own at the moment. Are you able to carry this task alone?”

“Moo.” [Most certainly]

Eizo felt silent for a moment and encompassed his chin with his fingers.

“Dr. Fancy Beard.”

“Yes, my lord,” the faun bowed gracefully.

“For the time being, I’d like you to stay within the mansion.”

“I shall follow your will, Grand Master,” the faun smiled.

“Same goes for Honeybrooks.”

“I understand, Inari-dono,” Minerva replied.

“At dawn, I will request you, Minerva-sama, Sofia-sama, and Nyal-sama, to assist me with divination over the land outside the Refuge. Telvie-san, Karen-san, and Juno-san, as three of you are best suited for stealth operations, I will need you to be at the headquarters, ready to accompany me if such need arises.

“Yes!” the three responded.

“As for everyone I didn’t mention, your duties and positioning remain the same. Now…”

Eizo turned to Aurora. Her heart sank.

_Here we go! Come on! I can do this!!!_

She nodded and took a step forward.

“Well…” she glanced over the NPCs. It was the first time she was addressing them.

_How could Eizo-san do this so calmly?!_

“As you know, I’m Amber Aurora. I’d like you to call me Aurora, which is much more convenient.”

_What am I saying?! Who cares about that? Don’t be stupid! Get it together!_

“I… will be responsible for testing your… combat abilities.”

_Ah! That sounded much harsher than I intended!_

She noticed some faces change. And the reactions varied quite a bit. From pure confusion to genuine excitement.

“So, I will call you to the dojo on the first underground floor of the mansion.”

_Oh, my goodness… what am I saying? Of course, they know where it is!_

“Please don’t be surprised when I do so. I’m looking forward to working with all of you! Please take care of me!”

With that, she instinctively bowed.

_What? Why did I say that? What am I doing? Oh no… Oh no… I… I…_

“YES, AURORA-SAMA!” the unified answer hit her like a thunderclap.

_Huh?..._

She straightened and looked at everyone. They stood proudly at the ready. Most of them even smiled excitedly, but still respectfully. She looked at Eizo. His warm smile caught her off guard.

_Did I mess everything up?_

“Alright,” her guild master reverted his face’s calm expression and turned to the NPCs, “Any questions?”

Silence took the room. For a moment too long. Aurora noticed several perplexed faces.

“We will leave you to your duties then. Thank you for coming.” Eizo nodded respectfully, halted for a moment, then turned to her. Aurora looked over the NPCs and mimicked the guild master’s move. 

The gathered creatures bowed in return. She turned around with Eizo, and they walked back to the entrance they came through. Christian followed at a slightly hurried pace and reached the door first to open it for them.

“Thank you,” Eizo acknowledged the butler again, “Stay with the rest. We’re good.”

“Understood,” was Christian’s simple answer.

Aurora, not knowing how to act, gave the drow a short smile on the way out.

_Eizo-san is so good at this…_

The door behind them closed. They walked back up the stairs and reached the entrance to Eizo’s chambers.

“Well,” the guild master spoke softly, “That went pretty well. You did very well. Let’s take a short break until the sunrise.”

“Yes,” Aurora nodded, “I’ll be in my room then.”

“Good.” Eizo nodded. “[Planar anchor]”

A small white pebble marked with a rune appeared in his hand. He passed it to Aurora.

“You know how to use it if anything happens.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see you later then, Aurora-san.”

“Until later, Eizo-san.”

***

After the doors behind the Supreme Beings closed, silence held the air in the ballroom for another solid minute. Christian sedately walked back to the mistress of the mansion.

“Our masters have left,” he declared calmly.

There was a general sigh of relief.

“I was so nervous I spoke too much,” Ibuki leaned against her giant mace in frustration, “Grand Master’s aura is so soothing, yet I couldn’t keep my blood from boiling! He’s truly amazing!”

“Don’t worry, Ibuki-san,” Siv smiled to the ogre, “I don’t think master took it as an offense.”

“He is very kind indeed,” Gilzanash nodded, crossing his giant clawed arms upon his massive chest, “I knew it before, but now…”

“I did not expect that…” Minerva mused subtly, adjusting her hair, “For him to treat us this way…”

“Yes, that was indeed surprising,” Helios exchanged looks with her, then glanced to Leonard, “Even letting his personal guards to defend our home…”

“What are you talking about?” Leonard appeared to be quite irritated, “We are but tools in boss’s hands, and he knows how to use his tools properly, don’t you get it?”

“That is true, Leonard-san,” Minerva glanced at Sophia. The djinn was smiling subtly, but remained silent, “Grand Master evinced respect we did not deserve. We can’t betray his expectations.”

“The words he spoke felt so good…” Juno’s voice trembled. Her cat ears twitched as she held her hands against her chest, “Inherit our creators’ spirit… Isn’t that what we all could only dream of…?”

“Indeed…” the gurgling voice of Nyal’Shghilth rang out. All eyes went to the Illithilich. He was still facing the direction the Supreme Beings were last seen, “We are but servants. But Grand Master’s grace is immeasurable. As is his power. That is only befitting the leader of Supreme Beings.”

“Aurora-sama is truly impressive as well,” Minerva smiled, “I did not think my heart would beat so fast…”

“Yes.” The necromancer replied, “Even I felt moved by her voice and visage. And she wasn’t even in her true form. The might of our masters in astonishing.”

“Hmm… Why would they choose to be in disguise?” Telvie wondered. Helios glanced at him sideways but remained silent. Minerva gazed upon the young elf with an intent look.

“It’s because our masters did not want us to feel oppressed by their presence,” Sophia gently spoke, “Inari-dono values truth. I think that’s the reason he chose not to affect us by an unnecessary display of power. We know how strong he is. I presume he wanted to see us as we are. Would someone correct me if I’m wrong?”

“I believe you are right, Sophia-sama,” this reply came from the blindfolded man in the black coat. Solomon Drake was the last to arrive at the meeting so it was his first time speaking up. The man possessed a really deep, captivating voice, “Inari-dono has completed the ritual of ascension, and one of my mistress’s forte lies in her irresistible charm. If they were to reveal their true nature in our presence at the same time… I don’t think most of us would be able to think straight. If any.”

Silence.

Everyone felt awe upon this realization. The presence of the Supreme Beings was impressive, regardless. To imagine that it was, but a fraction of their true power was formidable, even terrifying.

“I see… I see,” Levisto, the guardian of the Timeless Tower, chuckled as he dragged a hand over his face, “I was too reckless to look Aurora-sama in the eye. I almost lost myself…”

“Reckless indeed,” Solomon nodded.

“Is that true?” Telvie wondered, “Is she that powerful?”

“Yes!” Levisto grinned manically and looked at the door the Maiden of Lust walked out, “It felt like I won’t be able to contain my flames for a moment. If she wouldn’t command me, I would probably burst out.”

“Oh… so that’s what has happened,” Sophia mumbled to herself and caught Minerva’s gaze. The drow nodded subtly.

“She invoked such passion and desire…” Levisto realized his breath became heavy. He held it for a couple of seconds and breathed out with relief, “Aurora-sama is incredible. I need to be more careful and disciplined. That would be a shame if I failed to control myself in front of the Supreme Beings.”

“Aurora-sama made sure that didn’t happen,” Nyal’Shghilth remarked, “Once. I’m sure she’ll do that again if need be. But…”

“Yes, I understand,” Levisto put his hands on the sides and smirked, “It won’t happen again. Don’t worry, old friend.”

“We all need to prepare ourselves,” Obsidian’s voice flew over everyone’s head, “You heard it yourself. Aurora-sama is going to test us! Don’t you dare to disappoint the Supreme Beings.”

“This is going be a godly challenge, Diana-sama,” Helios smiled widely, “Are you feeling confident about yourself?”

“I’ll give everything for the Supreme Beings with no hesitation!” Obsidian smacked her lance against the shield twice, “A true warrior’s spirit is unbreakable!”

“That’s a shame I didn’t say that first!” Gilzanash’s fist rammed into his massive chest with a harsh metallic clash. The giant lizard grinned enthusiastically, “I admire you, Diana-sama!”

“Aurora-sama is going to test me… what a delight!” The grey oni smiled dreamily. Ibuki straightened and hurled her massive kanabo upon her shoulder as she glanced over Obsidian, Gilzanash, and Solomon. An arrogant smirk ran over her face, “I’ll whoop your asses! I’ll show who’s the badass here!”

Siv, who merely listened to the conversation so far, let out a disappointed sigh.

“What a disgrace…” her words went completely unnoticed by most. Solomon, who stood closer to her than the rest, turned his head in her direction with an understanding smile on his face.

A low chuckle grew into a burst of thunderous laughter that ravaged the ballroom.

“I’m so excited!” Gilzanash turned and stepped closer to the oni, looking her dead in the eye, grinning ferociously, “Show me what you got, ogre!”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! That’s what I call fun! I’ll crush you like a jar of sake, dragonblood! It will be a breeze without your pets.”

The oni bent her knees and lowered her hips, assuming combat stance. A steam cloud escaped Ibuki’s mouth as her eyes widened in anticipation.

“You aren’t guarding the gates either oni. That makes us almost even.”

Gilzanash slammed his firsts together, cracked his neck, and chuckled excitedly.

“Even you say! Ha-a… Come at me, lizard! I’ll trample you!”

A combined aura of bloodlust hit everyone around emitted by the two feral fighters.

Two gentle claps ringed in the tense silence. All present turned to the source of the sound.

“You are in the house of the Supreme Beings might I remind you…”

Minerva was smiling kindly, but the air around her small shapely form seemed to thicken. The tone of her voice was more than friendly but carried an unquestionable menace. In a blink of an eye, she averted to her usual self:

“We have our duties, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s not get distracted.”

“Absolutely correct, lady Minerva,” Helios’s smile addressed to the dark elf was a bit nervous. But the gaze he gave the oni and the lizardman the next second was furious. Both froze for a moment, exchanged looks, and stepped away from each other, visibly frustrated, still clenching fists. The high elf turned to his wife, “We should head back, my dear.”

“Yes.” Luna smiled and turned to the mistress of the mansion, “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It’s only natural, Luna-sama,” Minerva nodded and opened a [Gate], “Please take care.”

“You do as well.” The elven priestess bowed slightly.

“Well, we’re coming with ya. In case you forgot,” Leonard smirked as he walked up to them alongside Obsidian and Karen.

“Yes. I remember,” Helios glanced over them, fixing his gaze upon the girl in a green cloak, “If I may ask, are you alright, young mistress? You haven’t spoken at all.”

The majority of the eyes turned to the small figure. The white-haired girl cracked a weak smile.

“I’m alright, Helios-sama. Thank you for asking. I was distracted by my own thoughts, but I heard every word from everyone’s conversation.”

“Oh. Would you be so kind as to share your thoughts with us? I’m sure everyone would be extremely grateful.”

“It’s nothing major, really!” Karen gasped shyly, grasping her staff, “I… I just thought Inari-dono is truly a great person. I would imagine he’s able to make everyone happy. Yet… he seems… no, never mind. He treated us so well as if we weren’t just his loyal servants. I might be wrong, but I feel like he wants us to prove we’re worth his care. I’m not quite sure what I mean by that either… It’s just a feeling that he expects something more…”

“Hmm…” Minerva and Helios looked quite puzzled.

“Thank you. I’ll think about your words, Inari-sama,” the drow woman bowed.

“Thank you, Inari-sama,” the high elf nodded, “Well. Shall we?”

“Yes,” Karen smiled.

Minerva watched as everyone assigned to the Silverwing Refuge walked through the portal she opened and closed the passage.

“Well, we’ll be on our way as well then. Steve-san?”

“Moo.” [Let’s go.]

Levisto bowed to the drow woman.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Minerva-sama.”

“That goes both ways,” the drow nodded.

The pale demon picked up the white fluffy blob and vanished after casting [Greater Teleportation].

“Back to the library, I go.” Nyal’Shghilth waved a curt farewell and disappeared as well.

“We should attend to our task as well.” Minerva looked at Sophia. The djinn nodded, “Christian, make sure our guests are comfortable and look over the mansion while I’m absent.”

“Most certainly, my lady,” the butler bowed.

“Thank you, Minerva-sama. You are very kind,” the faun who remained silent throughout the meeting was scratching his beard nervously.

Dr. Fancy Beard was the only one who had no combat abilities. As his creator, Betsubara, he possessed a purely crafting-oriented build. Even Steve had levels invested in thief class. Compared to the vast majority of the level one hundred denizens of Oni-Daasu’s guild base, the faun was utterly useless in battle.

“You’re more than welcome.” The woman smiled at him and turned to Solomon, “Well. We are at your mercy, Sentinel of the Crypts. Please take care of us.”

“Yes. Surely.” the vampire nodded and turned to the staircase.

“Oh, I almost forgot! Christian, make sure to put Mimi to good use.”

“Understood.”

***

He closed the door behind him and let his hand fall alongside his body. There in his room, he stood silent for a couple of minutes.

_I should be dead… But that’s not the case. Something happened the moment servers went offline. What exactly? I felt my life escaping me, but I didn’t see the end. Or did I?_

_No, this can’t be the afterlife. Aurora is a healthy girl. But what if the nano-interface experienced an error because she remained online and actually killed her? That’s highly unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibilities. And I have no means to confirm or deny this theory. Out of the way until I have any clues, then…_

_Yet that doesn’t explain the fact that we’re in this together and everything else that’s going on. The possibility of this being a simulation is slimmer and slimmer with every hour. Technically impossible. Is this truly another world? Another reality?_

“Mmm…” he felt weak and tired. He pinched his nose bridge with his fingers and shut his eyes firmly.

_This won’t go away, will it?_

Silence.

Eizo’s breath was even. Somehow, he wasn’t shaken by all of this. Somehow, his mind was surprisingly clear. The storm of confusion that should have demolished his will was nothing more than a minor annoyance. Like an echo of stray dogs fighting in the distance.

_Have I become completely insensitive? Can I call myself a human?_

This wasn’t the first time he asked himself these questions.

His mused, gazing upon the ever-burning fireplace. He paced towards it as he took off his scarf along the way. Then he remembered that YGGDRASIL mechanics were a thing as he stopped, looking at his reflection.

The scarf disappeared as soon as he thought of unequipping it and appeared back on his neck when he demanded it.

“That’s convenient…” he sighed.

He touched a small malachite fox statuette on top of the fireplace, and a full-height mirror materialized on to the right a couple of meters away. After a brief pause, Eizo unequipped the clothing that covered his upper body, so the only things left were the rings and the necklace.

The light-blue eyes of a strong full-grown man stared back at him. He was sure that he hasn’t got to such level of physical form in his life. A hundred and seventy-centimeter tall body belonged to a warrior that should’ve lived through hundreds of battles. It was true, in a sense.

The man in the mirror was familiar. It was Inari Eizo. The guild master of Oni-Daasu.

“No,…” he whispered to himself. That was incorrect…

“[True Form]”

The blue flame enveloped him whole for a split second. The reflection changed.

Covered in snow-white fur, a giant bipedal anthropomorphic fox looked at him with the eyes of the same light-blue color. But those eyes belonged to a beast. Nine lush tails wriggled behind him. That was a creature of myths and legends. A kitsune.

Eizo lifted his hands and looked at the palms. They were humanoid, with charcoal-black skin on the inside and short white fur on the outside. Instead of nails, his fingertips carried sharp black claws.

This was confusing and weird to see it in current circumstances. He’s known and seen his character’s form for years, but it was just a virtual body. Was.

He reached to his sternum and pressed his open hand to it.

There it was. The beat of a heart. The heart of a beast. His heart now.

It was even and calm, the same as his breath.

_Should I feel grateful? It feels like a mockery… I’m such a mess…_

Eizo stepped to the side and started walking towards the windows of his room. With every step, the feeling of strength this body possessed washed over him. The difference in anatomy did not bother him. His brain somehow knew how to move the limbs properly and use tails humans did not possess.

He was much taller. Giant. His true form reached a height of two meters and twenty centimeters.

He circled around the room, picking up the pace until he realized he was running. The excitement flew through him in waves of joy each time he pushed off the ground. He was moving extremely fast, and at the moment, the guild master's spacious room became too small for him. He was like a bird flouncing in its cage.

He glanced outside, and before he knew it, he leaped across the room and reached for the door that led to the balcony.

Then he stopped.

And froze in silence.

_No. There’s no time for such petty incontinence._

He glanced over his body. He wanted to test it, to feel it. The freedom of movement was intoxicating. The feeling of air resistance, each and every breath he took… All of it was mesmerizing. He felt this body’s might. He could imagine what it was capable of. In YGGDRASIL, it was exciting and freeing, but now it felt real, truly real. And that was magnificent.

_If this is a chance to start from scratch…_

It was funny to think about it. He accepted death a long time ago. Yet life was laughing at him.

_It feels like a bad joke. Yet if it is not… What could’ve caused it? Or… who? What is the reasoning behind all of it? There should be a reason…_

Eizo straightened and let the sigh escape his maw. He stared outside for a minute, not really thinking about anything, just simmering down.

The Haunting Grounds was an eerie and spooky location created in a pocket dimension connected to Siverwing Refuge with a portal. That was a common and convenient way to implement the player base extensions that did not have the physical space in the open world of YGGDRASIL to expand. Also, it allowed to bypass the awkwardness and complications if someone wanted to create a segment of the guild base that didn’t match the overall feel.

Eizo’s gaze traveled over the mansion’s garden to the lake and then to the chapel surrounded by forest. Although it looked unfriendly and one could say menacing, he felt its strange charm. Even in the game he liked the creation of CyanIDESmile. 

He noticed three silhouettes walking on the road by the lakeside towards the Chapel.

A thought caught his attention.

_What does a pocket dimension mean now?_

The concept was longed lived in human minds. And in the game, it was mostly an excuse to bring a convenient solution. But in a physical world, a concrete explanation for such a phenomenon did not exist. It was all theoretical, if not purely imaginary.

Also, portals.

Eizo used [Astral Gate] two times already without thinking about it. He has actually done something Earth scientists would only dream about.

_Magic…_

He encompassed the tip of his jaw with his fingers.

Science was the core of human civilization he knew. And it demonstrated that all matter functions as a cohesive mechanism that can be dissected into components physically or theoretically and studied.

By this logic, if magic was a real thing, it should have had its own fundamental laws intertwined with physics and other disciplines. Isn’t that what wizards in fiction books were all about? The scientists studying magic?

“[Hermit]”

Black mist burst from his paw, taking the shape of a staff. It was a straight rod of slightly purple metal covered with engravings and two sections wrapped in leather equidistant to the center.

He walked away from the door and made several swings and figures. His hands performed the actions with great precision strictly following his will.

“[Soul Fire Weapon]”

The blue flame started from his hand and enveloped the entire staff. It did not burn him. The flame actually appeared cold to the touch.

Eizo observed it for a couple of seconds then canceled the enchantment with his will. The flame died out instantly. It felt almost natural without pressing the action button. He glanced around. The room wasn’t a place to test any kind of destructive magic. But that wasn’t his build’s forte anyway.

“[Astral Projection]”

The air in front of him shifted and started to change color. Two seconds later, the weird light-blue substance took the form of nine-tailed kitsune with a bo staff in its hand. It looked more like a silhouette than an actual creature.

Eizo slowly walked around it. The projection was standing idly with no command given. With all of its body being transparent, it was hard to tell what Eizo was looking at sometimes. But the ability seemed to follow its game mechanic. The projection should and was identical to his current appearance.

He equipped the gear he took off previously and looked at the projection. It stayed the same.

“Good. Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?”

No reaction or response. It made sense considering the description of this ability. It wasn’t an independent being. Eizo sighed with relief.

_At least I don’t have to deal with another me. One is more than enough._

He hesitated for a moment then touched his projection with the tip of his weapon. It remained inert.

“Hmm…”

He gripped the staff properly and swung it at the copy. The shaft smacked into the translucent figure’s side, but the projection did not react to that. There wasn’t a lot of force behind the strike, but Eizo was sure his copy took damage from it. There was no interface or damage text, so no way to know how much exactly. Instead, Eizo felt slight numbness in his body precisely in the place where he landed the strike on the copy.

That meant that ability mechanics worked properly. He was taking a percent of his projection’s incoming damage.

_But that means I can also damage myself now… Should keep that in mind. But how do I…_

In the game, the projection was controlled by AI and followed him on default and could be operated via the interface. But now it was just standing in one place and did not react to him walking around.

Eizo took a few steps back. Nothing.

“Come here.”

No response. Eizo frowned. The projection stood with no visual reaction to his commands.

_Am I not specific enough?_

“Take two steps forward.”

Same result.

_Okay. That’s an unpleasant surprise. How can I approach it then?_

He stood in silence for a minute, staring blankly at the translucent silhouette.

_Alright. Maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about game mechanics. What a real-life… mage… would do? That sounds crazy… Oh… well. Trial and error._

He focused on the projection and imagined it moving towards him. To his surprise, his imagination was synchronized with reality. The form moved a little bit janky because he felt legitimately seasick for a moment. It almost felt like he had two bodies at once, which was quite disorienting.

He made an effort to regain focus and manipulated his projection to move around the room. Gradually the dissonant feelings subsided. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sense of connection. Darkness flashed into vision. He saw the room through his projection’s eyes. Turned its head and looked at himself, standing a few meters away from the window. It felt much stranger than it did in the game.

Eizo decided to experiment further. Instead of directly controlling his copy, he tried to convey his intentions. The moment he finished thinking of what he wanted to do, he felt like something passed between him and the projection.

The silhouette walked to the mirror. Then to the window after a brief pause. Finally, to the table and sat in the chair.

_How do I make it fight for me then? If I need to instruct it every time… It’s going to be useless. There should be a way…_

“[Ethereal Shadow]”

Clouds of black smoke spilled from underneath his clothes to the floor, slipped aside, and formed another silhouette. It was another projection, but this one looked different. The edges of the shadow figure were constantly leaking out the pitch-black and grey matter that dissipated around it in a matter of seconds. Though it remained in one piece as if it regained the material it was made of as quickly as it was losing it.

The shadow took the guild master’s shape with the mantle, unlike the [Astral Projection].

Eizo ran the shadow through the same tests he did previously. It seemed to be responding the same way.

_Now…_

He hesitated for a moment then conveyed his intentions to both of his summons. The shadow and the projection walked to the open space near the oval window and assumed the opposing positions. To Eizo’s surprise, they bowed to each other. And stood motionless. His brows went up upon the realization.

_Are they waiting for my signal?_

“Begin!”

Both of his copies started moving counter-clockwise, slowly closing the distance. Eizo couldn’t believe what he was seeing. They weren’t moving like they did in the game. He saw proper footwork. The shadow and the projection alike were mimicking his movements. Eizo froze.

The sound of staves colliding rang through the room. The copies began the fight.

Eizo was dumbfounded. Not only were his copies using proper martial arts techniques, but they were also even more effective with anatomical differences between humans and kitsune. They moved much faster and used the tails for defense and balance management. In just a few seconds of this fight, Eizo saw things he could never be able to muster with his original body.

Two silhouettes merged into a storm of exchanging blows, dodges, and parries. Even though the room wasn’t touched as he wanted, he could feel the residual vibrations of the weapon collisions that propagated through air and floor. Every single strike carried so much force it could tear a regular human in pieces. It was monstrous.

The projection and the shadow were scaled down from his stats. They also had very limited abilities. Hence were mostly suitable for distraction, protection, and scouting purposes.

Copies fought on his level of mastery, but the shadow stats were higher. The blows it landed on the projection delivered were significantly more painful.

“Enough.”

Both of them stopped the second he said it, took a step back from each other, bowed, then turned to Eizo and halted.

He slightly massaged his forearm. The pain was numb but noticeable. He probably wouldn’t be able to kill himself if all the mechanics of this abilities remained the same. But could lower his already not-so-high health pool immensely. At least at the moment, he couldn’t afford testing it.

_Friendly fire… That’s a huge complication. At least it is not the worst thing I could think of._

He stared at the silhouettes for several seconds and sighed. He commanded them to stand by near the window. The copies obeyed.

“[Concealed Arsenal]”

His staff disappeared as the black smoke was sucked back to Eizo’s hand. He stood silent for a moment.

“[Alternative Form]”

_That’s more familiar… At least it shouldn’t distract me as much._

He inspected his hand, which belonged to a human.

“[Inner cure]”

_I’ll need to get accustomed to kitsune’s body eventually… Now. Magic is a new frontier to investigate. But there’s a lot of things to consider besides that. Worst things I could think of… Yes. Let’s start with something obvious and mundane… Oh… damn it._

“[Message].”

“Huh? Eizo…san?”

“Yes. It’s me. Don’t worry, Aurora-san. Just wanted to check on you.”

As he was talking to his guildmate, Eizo walked to the fireplace and deactivated the mirror, glancing into it for a brief moment.

“I… I’m fine. Did something happen?”

He paced to the table and stopped by it.

“Well… I’m a real breathing kitsune now. Can’t say it should’ve surprised me at this point… but it did. I… are you alright?”

“I…” she went silent for several seconds, “Yes. I am. You don’t have to worry.”

_She isn’t… But… what can I do to help her right now? We’re both stuck in alien bodies in a world unknown. This won’t be easy no matter what._

Eizo’s fingers tapped on the tabletop.

“Good to hear. If anything happens…”

“Yes, I’ll contact or teleport to you…” his guildmate went silent again for a bit, “Thank you, Eizo-san…” It sounded like Aurora was relieved. At least partially.

“Don’t mention it.” Eizo paused, “Please take care.”

“I understand. Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you, Aurora-san.”

He sat on the table and sighed silently with a warm smile on his face.

“Huh? What are you thanking me for?”

“For staying with me. I mean it. I know the situation is complicated and confusing… But I’m glad I’m not alone. I’m glad that one of my friends is here.”

Aurora wasn’t responding for quite a while. The moment she spoke again, her voice was trembling slightly.

“Thank you. I’m glad you are here too…”

Eizo smiled. At least he managed to cheer her up a little. Aurora was much more capable than she knew. Lumia did a great job looking after the girl. Though there was still a lot of work to do.

“I’ll talk to you when I figure out a cohesive plan.”

“Yes.”

“Until then.”

“Until then…”

Eizo waited a few seconds and canceled the spell. He also dismissed the projection and the shadow as they were dragging his attention a little.

“A cohesive plan, eh?” he scratched the back of his head and smiled tiredly…

***

A single tear ran down her cheek as a wave of force traveled through her mind and body. Her legs stopped shaking. She averted her gaze to the mirror once again.

An unimaginably stunning yet sinister creature looked back at her. With its face so perfect, it could belong to a goddess. With its body so sensual and eye-pleasing in its form, it was hard to find words adequate enough to depict its natural beauty and appeal.

Aurora lifted her arm. So did the reflection. She touched the massive horns that curved forward and up from the back of her head, forming a wicked halo. A pair of scary but strangely elegant bat-like wings spread behind her back, pitch-black on the outside and blood-red inside. Each of them was longer than Aurora’s entire body.

Aurora’s equipment laid under her feet. Exotic and highly sexual lingerie still covered the most explicit parts of the succubus’s body.

Crimson scales edged the sides of her head, torso, and thighs contrasting with the smooth white skin in the center, like blood and milk. The arms and feet were covered entirely and ended with sharp, menacing claws.

Aurora stared into fiendish eyes with black sclera. They were bestial with vertical pupils. The yellow and orange of the irises slowly and chaotically shifted. 

_What… am I going to do?..._

She was so happy to create this look with Hisuiken. With her below-average appearance, Aurora enjoyed playing as an oversexualized character. There were plenty of girls like her, but most of them chose humanoid races. Aurora’s final decision on race was made based on her experiments and knowledge of her guildmates.

She also felt like she made a pretty unique choice. As her succubus race progression was highly beneficial for her job class build and playstyle. Making this character work properly took her a lot of learning and effort.

Besides, a high-level succubus disguise was extremely hard to detect as it was considered a transformation in YGGDRASIL. It was also true for Eizo’s kitsune build. That way, heteromorphic races could avoid unnecessary conflicts. This high-level camouflage still had minor drawbacks but made life much, much more manageable.

Their allies were aware that as well as humanoids and demihumans, some of Oni-Daasu members tested and played as heteromorphs who were outcast among the vast majority of YGGDRASIL’s players. So, Aurora had nothing to worry about in that regard either. They assumed their true forms during collaborations with no issue.

“…I’m a real breathing kitsune now…” Eizo’s words rung in her head.

Aurora touched the surface of the mirror as if she was making sure it was really there. The clattering sound made her shiver as her claws reached the glass.

It was surreal.

The perfect face in the reflection expressed confusion and disbelief.

She looked down.

“Oh god…”

For her, creating a character with ample breasts was just a part of enjoying the creative freedom the game provided. She didn’t care for it much because it was only in the game, and she was more engaged with the guild activities than her looks at the end of the day.

There was a girl in her first guild that intentionally wore skimpy armor and flirted with male players. Aurora found such behavior inappropriate and quite frankly ridicules. She understood that games were an escape from reality, but to her, it seemed excessive.

Her real body wasn’t beautiful at all. Nature gave her nothing she could be proud of. As a result, she even chose clothes intending to cover it. She was just a skinny, awkward girl with an ordinary face. Nothing special at all. She wasn’t a virgin, but two guys she dated in the past only made her feel even worse about herself. Her breakups were akin to runaways.

Aurora bit her lower lip and looked up at the mirror. The woman in the reflection mimicked her action. But it looked completely different from what Aurora was picturing in her mind. The demoness in front of her was so expressive and hauntingly appealing, the urge for compassion her visage produced felt insufferable.

_Is this what I am?_

She placed her hand on the hip and guided it upwards towards the belly button. Aurora clearly felt the transition between scales and skin. It was weird but, in a way, fascinating. She never touched anything like it. The scales looked tough but felt good, pleasing even. And the skin was unnaturally delicate.

_Am I a real demon?_

She looked down again and brought both of her hands towards her chest.

“Mmm…” a gentle moan escaped her lips.

_Oh god… they are so soft…_

A wave of pleasant heat flew through her. She instinctively leaned forward and inhaled. Then she froze as the realization hit her.

_What am I doing?!_

Her breath became heavy.

_What’s going on? Why am I feeling this way? Why?_

She clasped her head and shut her eyes.

_Calm down… Calm down… Calm down…_

Unlike previously, nothing helped her mind to simmer down. The heat only kept rising inside of her body. She concentrated on her breath and started counting. It took a while until the inner storm subsided. Aurora was genuinely surprised that the trick Lumia taught her worked.

_What was that?!_

Aurora glanced towards the mirror. The succubus was on her knees, stunned and perplexed.

_I can’t … It’s making me crazy…_

She stood up and stepped towards the image. Aurora looked into the eyes of the creature she created. Her eyes.

_Has Eizo-san experienced the same thing? That’s why he talked to me?_

She leaned with her forehead against the glass.

_I’m scared. Is he? Probably not… but… Why did my body react this way anyway? Is it that sensitive?... Huh? Wait…_

Aurora blinked. In YGGDRASIL, any explicitly sexual actions towards players and NPCs alike were forbidden. She was quite sure that rule applied to the player's own character. She didn’t even think of trying anything like that before. But what she did and felt just now…

Her thoughts were interrupted by gentle knocking on her door.

“Yes?” Aurora turned to the entrance taking a step back from the mirror.

“Forgive me, Aurora-sama. Minerva-sama ordered me to…”

A young girl dressed in a maid’s apron stopped halfway into the doorway, looking at Aurora. She was carrying a tray with several plates and a decanter in her four slim hands covered by skin-tight black gloves.

The eyes of the girl were completely black except for white irises with no pupils. Her head, covered by puffy white hair, carried two large antennas. At first glance, it seemed like she was wearing a cloak, but in reality, those were gigantic white wings with a leopard-like pattern of black spots.

The girl had a very fluffy white collar that covered almost everything from her sternum to the chin. Her attractive body with almost wasp waist was encompassed in a skin-tight snow-white dress that reached the middle of the thighs. Even she wore an apron, Aurora knew that. The shapely legs of the exotic entity were complemented by black stockings and gleaming shoes.

It was Mimi.

The guild decided to give Aurora the last remaining forty-nine levels in the pool as she was the last to join. Aurora remembered her struggles of not knowing the best way to spend them. She liked cute things but also wanted something as unique as most of Oni-Daasu creations.

After several months of debating with herself, she came up with the idea to recreate a pretty popular character of the moth girl she really adored. Initially, Aurora thought of making her simply an insectoid. Still, after researching the races available to NPCs, she stumbled across a pretty unique looking fairy race that fitted the idea.

“Erm… Aurora-sama…” Mimi’s eyes averted to the floor.

“W…” Aurora cleared her throat, “What’s wrong?” gathered herself and tried to look as confident as she could.

“You… you… are… forgive me…” the girl’s voice grew weaker and weaker until the point Aurora couldn’t make out any words.

_Did I do something wrong? Oh…_

Aurora felt her cheeks burning. She instinctively crossed her arms in an attempt to cover herself, but she was so nervous her arms actually went under her breasts, puffing them up. She realized the mistake too late to fix it.

_Oh no… This is so embarrassing… What do I do? What do I do?_

“Come in. Close the door,” she tried to keep her voice as calm as possible.

Mimi obediently followed the order. After that, the girl stood motionless, staring at the floor.

_How do I get out of this?! And what’s wrong with her? Is she… afraid?_

Although Aurora was glad that Mimi wasn’t looking. She messed up. Standing in front of the NPC in her underwear! Why did she act so carelessly? What if it was Christian or even Eizo?!

_And I already let her in! I can’t just run around dressing up now! Can I?! Ugh…_

“So, what did Minerva-sama order?”

“Yes. She told me to prepare a meal for you and Inari-dono and to make… sure you’re… comfortable…”

Aurora’s mind went blank for a moment. This was bad. If anything she learned from life and being in Oni-Daasu was the fact that misunderstandings would lead to disaster.

_Why now?!... Alright. First of all, calm down. How would Eizo deal with this situation?_

“Don’t worry. You did nothing wrong,” she tried to produce a welcoming smile. She couldn’t see her reflection but hoped it didn’t look too awkward. Mimi lifted her eyes and smiled back, “Come.”

Aurora gestured to the table near the entrance and walked towards it. The amount of effort it took her to keep a straight face was immense.

_We’re both girls. There’s nothing to be ashamed of._

Her room was rectangular and about half size of Eizo’s chambers. But still, it was extremely spacious compared to the apartment Aurora rented in real life.

Except for the small section at the entrance, the entirety of the floor was covered by fluffy crimson carpet. Therefore, Mimi left her shoes near Aurora’s boots before stepping further.

Most of the walls were covered in bookshelves and regular shelves with Aurora’s personal knick-knacks and toys. A massive wooden wardrobe stood in the far-right corner.

A huge mirror occupied the center of the right wall, went up, continued through the entirety of the ceiling and connected to another mirror of the same size on the opposite wall forming a reflective arch that visually divided the room in two.

The room also had floor-to-ceiling windows, but at the moment, the heavy tapestries were closed and the interior was lit only by magical lamps creating a semi-private atmosphere.

_Should I be opposite or adjacent? Opposite would be way too official, right? By gods, I’m not ready for any of this! Somebody, help me! Eizo-san!_

Aurora kneeled down by the table and looked up at Mimi, who hesitated for some reason.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Come, sit down.”

“Yes…”

Mimi elegantly settled down, putting the tray before Aurora.

_I wish I moved like that. How is she so graceful? I must look like a twentieth-century robot to her. Oh my… her dress is so lovely…_

The table used to be very simple initially. But Hisuiken gifted her a magnificent replacement she could call a work of art. It seemed to be made from dark wood with bright wood and pearl inlays. The central space was occupied with her Vegvisir surrounded by intricate floral patterns with some fiendish elements.

Aside from her personal preferences, Aurora also tried to make this room befitting for her in-game character.

On both sides of the mirror, the ceiling was decorated by cascades of translucent silks. No bed, but a sea of cushions and beanbags all throughout the room. Small, medium, big. One giant beanbag laid in the center. There were also several hookahs standing around, even one on the table. But they were merely for decoration purposes.

“Looks delicious…” Aurora genuinely smiled, looking at the plates.

“Thank you very much, Aurora-sama!” Mimi’s response almost made her jump. Aurora didn’t expect such a happy and energetic reaction. Mimi closed her eyes in joy and wiggled her head cutely, making a “Hnn~” sound. “Please do try it!”

Aurora looked back at the plates. She liked okonomiyaki and sushi. It was a bit uncanny Mimi chose to cook them specifically. But more importantly, she hasn’t seen those simple dishes look so good in life.

_Perhaps that’s how they look in the expensive restaurants..._

Aurora could only dream of tasting such food in real life.

Although she didn’t feel a hint of hunger before, Aurora couldn’t help but almost drool over the tray. The gentle scent was tickling her nostrils, making it even worse.

“Hmm… If I may… what made you decide what exactly to cook for me?” Aurora asked the first thing on her mind just to distract herself and not lose her face completely.

“Yes. I don’t know for sure, but I felt like Aurora-sama would enjoy this.”

_Huh? Really? That’s it?!_

“Hmm… I see…”

That was really strange. Although she found Mimi really likable, Aurora couldn’t brush off a weird feeling. She couldn’t shape it into a single thought yet.

“Is something wrong, Aurora-sama? Did I do wrong?”

Aurora realized she was staring at her creation a little too long. She smiled.

“No. Not at all. I just thought about something unrelated.”

“Forgive me. I must have been bothering you.”

“No, no. It’s alright.”

_I’m so stupid! Just shut up and eat it._

Aurora took the chopsticks and, despite being exceptionally nervous, tried to keep her dignity. It all went south the moment she separated from Eizo.

_Why am I so useless?!... Oh my… Oh god…_

As she placed the first piece of sushi into her mouth, all the troubling thoughts were pushed aside.

_…This is ridicules… It is too good… Ridiculously good… Oh my god, Mimi, you’re the best!_

She tried the second, and it appeared to be even better. Aurora could swear she hadn’t tasted anything better than this. All a student could afford was complete garbage compared to this. And she genuinely enjoyed some junk food for years without knowing any better.

“Mmmm… this is so good…” she couldn’t help but vocalize her delight.

“I… I’m so happy!”

Aurora looked at Mimi and smiled.

“Did you try it yourself?”

“I… I… no?” the girl blinked rapidly in surprise. She didn’t expect such a question at all.

“Oh, you’ve got to! Here…” before Aurora knew, she was holding sushi in front of her creation’s face.

A cold sensation ran down her spine.

_I got too much into it! I’m screwed… Huh?! Is she blushing?!_

Mimi’s lips twitched slightly. She closed her eyes as she opened her mouth. Aurora had no option to turn back at this point. She gently guided the food between the girl’s pretty lips, unwillingly noticing how soft they seemed. And the white eyelashes Mimi possessed looked weird and really cute up close. Aurora retracted the chopsticks feeling like a surgeon operating on a heart. She silently watched as the girl elegantly covered her mouth with her fingers.

_What am I doing? Why am I doing this? This is so wrong in so many ways! What would Eizo think of me? Lumia-san! What is wrong with me?!_

Mimi swallowed the bite, but her eyes remained closed, and she seemed motionless yet again. Though now, Aurora could hear her breathing. She couldn’t understand what was going on with the girl.

“So? How was it?” she tried to sound as gentle as possible.

“Tasty… Very tasty…” Mimi opened her eyes, but the moment they crossed eyes, she quickly averted her gaze.

Aurora felt utterly lost. What happened? Did she miss something? Was her behavior that inappropriate? She felt so bad but couldn’t put the finger on what she should do next.

“Did I upset you, Mimi-chan?” Aurora’s frustration with herself sipped into her voice.

“No-no-no-no!” the response was immediate and so intense, Aurora was completely thrown off guard, “There’s no way you could possibly upset me, Aurora-sama! It’s not possible! I’m sorry… I just… I…”

Aurora looked at Mimi, who was desperately trying to gather her wits and come up with appropriate words. She felt like the best thing she could do is to remain silent. At that moment, she pictured Eizo standing before his creations, waiting for them to answer.

_Do I look that menacing? He is so much more powerful and intelligent. But…_

“Forgive me, Aurora-sama. I know you’re incredible. But I just didn’t expect you to be so generous to share your food with a mere servant I am…”

“I see…”

Aurora leisurely returned to the meal, averting her eyes from Mimi. It was delicious, but thoughts filled her consciousness to the brim.

It finally clicked in her head. She was starting to understand what Eizo was saying to her before the meeting. How did he get it so fast?

It didn’t matter what she thought on the inside. To the NPCs, she was almost on par with Eizo in terms of respect. Regardless of her actual power or knowledge, she was one of the creators. And this fact alone was enough to put her on a pedestal lower than Eizo but still too high from where NPCs felt they belonged.

“Here. Have another one. And don’t be shy. I feel bad enjoying this all by myself.” this time, Aurora did not fake confidence. She smiled at Mimi and presented another piece. The girl accepted it tried to hide her happiness the best she could. Aurora noticed that Mimi’s wings flapped slightly.

When they finished with the food, Aurora filled the glass with the beverage from the crystal decanter. Then reached into her inventory and produced a chalice with stamps of her personal Vegvisir. She served it as well and placed it before Mimi.

White irises slowly turned to gaze upon Aurora. Mimi’s mouth opened in sheer disbelief.

“This is a thank you for your hard work.” Aurora spoke as friendly as she could, “You made me happy, Mimi-chan. You surely deserve this much.”

“I…” Aurora became afraid that Mimi’s smile would tear girl’s pretty face in two, “Thank you, Aurora-sama! You made me happy too! So happy! So… Thank you…”

Aurora watched as tears appeared in Mimi’s eyes, her smile distorted a little bit, but didn’t go away.

_Tears of joy?_

She produced a handkerchief from her inventory, surprised she even kept one and gently wiped her creation’s face. She had to raise herself and lean forward to do so. That way, she was actually looming over Mimi. Aurora unwillingly inspected her face. It was exactly as she designed it with Hisuiken’s help. So pretty. Hair, eyes, skin, nose, lips…

What excited Aurora the most was Mimi’s scent. She could feel the girl’s breath where it touched her skin. It was mesmerizing. Aurora could swear she could hear Mimi’s heartbeat.

What used to be a cluster of ones and zeros was now breathing the same air with her. Aurora glanced at her fingers that rested on Mimi’s cheek. She felt her. Tiny muscles moving underneath Mimi’s white skin. Slight movements of her body as she breathed. 

_God… she’s so…_

Aurora’s eyes locked on Mimi’s lips. They looked so sweet. She could reach them in no time. If she just moved a tiny bit closer.

_UZUME!_

Aurora held her breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She looked at Mimi and smiled while stroking her cheek.

“You’re wonderful…” she slowly reverted in her initial position, afraid to scare Mimi with sudden movements and picked up her glass, “To tasty delights!”

The moth girl frantically grabbed the chalice with two of her hands and held it in front of herself.

“To tasty delights!” she smiled so happily it pained Aurora’s heart.

_I don’t deserve it…_

They finished their drinks in silence. Aurora put her glass down, Mimi followed suit. An awkward pause took the air.

_Erm… what now? We’re finished, right? What am I supposed to do?_

She hesitated for a moment then remembered what Eizo did.

“Thank you. You may leave.”

“Thank you, Aurora-sama.”

Mimi smiled and collected the tray but stopped looking at the chalice.

“It’s fine. Leave it.”

“Understood.”

Mimi stood up and walked to the door to put on her shoes.

“By the way, you said you were going to Eizo-san next?”

“Yes. That is correct,” The girl’s face became troubled, “Am I not allowed?”

“No, no. It’s not that,” Aurora struggled to find a way to say it the right way, “It’s just… It might not be the right moment. I’m sure he would receive you well. But right now, I wouldn’t disturb his peace myself. He needs to focus, so the less distraction, the better. I have my duties as well, but mine is much smaller than his.”

“I understand…” Mimi sounded a bit sad.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure he will be more than happy to taste your amazing cooking when he has the opportunity. I’ll make sure he does. You’re truly amazing, Mimi-chan.”

“Thank you very much, Aurora-sama! I’ll look forward to it!” Mimi bowed as low as she could while holding the tray.

“Thank you. You’re free to go.”

The door closed behind the girl.

Aurora sat in silence, looking at the closed door, then sprang up and jumped into a pile of cushions, grabbing and hugging one of them in desperation.

_This is so intense! I can’t… I can’t! I’m exhausted! Eizo-san does it so effortlessly! He’s so much more capable than I am! It’s almost unfair! Oh my… What do I do? What do I do?!_

She rolled around, trying to break all the tension that built up inside of her. She screamed and groaned into the pillow until she regained her senses. Breathing heavily, Aurora sat among the cushions, looking straight into space.

_Get your shit together, Uzume! Eizo-san counts on you! You can’t just sit here and expect him to do all of it! We’re in this together! Embrace yourself! Get things done!_

She sprang up and froze.

_Oh. My. God. I was almost naked for the entirety of this! Forgive me, Mimi-chan! Your creator is so dumb!_

The demoness rushed to the mirror and grabbed her clothes. At that moment, she realized something.

_I got undressed in my disguise… How do I put them on with those wings and tail?! Hmm… Hold on a second…_

She looked in the mirror and focused on a single thought. The wings suddenly retracted inside of her body. Their movement was so fast and blurry they looked like centipedes for a split second. Aurora felt like throwing up for a moment, but magic intervened and calmed her stomach and mind.

_It will be hard to get used to… Also, how the hell does this thing work? Why now it’s kicking in?_

Aurora sighed and turned to see her back. On both sides of her spine between her shoulder blades were elongated black symmetrical outgrowths that looked like some kind of ornament attached to her body. She inspected her tail and tried to make it to disappear, but it just wiggled around, mirroring her confusion.

_Well, maybe it’s not that bad._

She moved the unfamiliar part of her body around and brought the hart-shaped tip to her face. She gently touched it with her fingertips and shivered.

_Okay, let’s not do that ever again…_

She mused for a minute then put her clothes back on. There was a hole in her pants and belt for the tail. She designed it. Thought it was sexy. Now thinking about it made her red as a tomato.

Aurora summoned her wings back and span several times in front of the mirror, inspecting her looks. The jacket wasn’t damaged in the slightest. Wings went through the slits that magically appeared in its material.

Her reflection was still an extremely sexual succubus. While her attire covered most parts of the skin, it was fitted well and accentuated her curves.

_God… that waist…those hips… and legs…_

Aurora closed her eyes and hid her face in hands.

_This is so embarrassing… How could I think that was a good idea…?_

She sighed.

_Okay. Could I predict that such a thing would happen? Well… NO!..._

Aurora stopped and retracted her wings again. That way, her looks felt not as freaky. But freaky still. She sighed again and rested her head on her hand, thoughtfully.

_I still got time until dawn, right? What should I do? Maybe it’s better to start sooner? Will it be inappropriate? Hmm…_

She looked at herself. No matter how hard she tried, it was almost impossible to believe that this body was hers. Even with its devilish features, it was just way too attractive.

Aurora was truly a lady, a bard, and a swordsman. A member of a great guild of high-end hardcore players.

Uzume was just another failure of a human being. A mere student at the university. A dull girl with family issues. Her only real luck in life was meeting Lumia Septima and Oni-Daasu. Nakomusume became the only person he could truly call a friend. Without them, she would probably be gone years ago.

Aurora looked at her clawed hand and clasped it. It was the hand of a monster, but it was still exquisite and beautiful in a weird way. Aurora had no fear for most of the monsters in fantasy. If anything, books taught her that some monsters could be more humane than humans. Though it was obviously the exception, not the rule.

_What kind of a monster am I then?_

She blinked and glanced over the bookshelves.

_Where should I start? Lumia always worked hard to understand her characters... Can I…?_

***

“Good hunt. You all did well,” Great Huntress’s voice was stern and imperious. She looked over the elves gathered around the table and stopped on the High Ranger, “But I’m here to deliver bad news. Faelyn?”

“Yes, my lady.”

An old elf warrior she addressed took a map out of his bag and spread it out on the table so everyone could see it.

“Our foe made a bald move in the central region. This outline…” she stumbled for a moment, “The humans burned down this part of the forest.”

The eyes of the seven rangers of Melilad she gathered around the table went wide.

“Forgive me, Tahlrah-sama. Can you repeat that?” the one to speak was High Ranger Zarren.

“They burned the forest down to the ground, with spells and flammables. Though they couldn’t go too far, it seems like it was just a field trial. They are gathering the means to continue this madness. A heavily guarded squad was sent this way,” she exchanged looks with the High Ranger, “We presume that they are about to expand this tactic.”

“Have they gone completely insane?” one of Zarren’s men gasped, “This is... Are they planning to destroy the entire forest?”

“We don’t know. Yet.” Tahlrah paused, “But I won’t be surprised. We were holding them back for decades now. Several generations of humans have stepped into our land and perished. Their weak minds probably can’t handle it anymore. Theocracy still has to protect its northern border from demihumans. We don’t know what happens in the Draconic Kingdom, Re-Estize, and Baharuth at the moment. But it seems to me this move is a sign of desperation.”

Silence took the air. Zarren was staring at the map, frowning deeply. So that’s why she was infuriated? They had no intel on the human squad’s displacement. If they were to spent too much time at the Theocracy’s camp or stroke too late, they could have been surrounded by superior enemy forces.

Yet set the forest of Evasha to the flame? This was an unforgivable sacrilege. Every elf would feel that way. Unfortunately, such feelings could lead to a disaster in their situation. Zarren understood that it could be a provocative act. If Tahlrah was that furious, what about the other Great Hunters? 

“What is His Majesty command?” Zarren tried to keep the formal tone. But his worries sipped through.

Tahlrah went silent. Zarren noticed how she winced. It was so brief even he almost missed it. His heart sank.

“We’re to retaliate,” Tahlrah finally responded. She crossed her arms and looked at him, “The First Hunter is currently working on the plan of an attack. He requested you and two-thirds of Melilad’s garrison. He’ll be expecting you at Corthus in two days. My troops and I are to stay and defend this part of the forest in case the squad Theocracy repositioned here is indeed what we think it is.”

Zarren clenched his fists and teeth. Elves were stronger but vastly outnumbered. Every loss on their side was much more significant than that of humans who were breeding like roaches. In this context, a counterattack was suicidal. And his men were to join the frontline?

He wasn’t mad at Tahlrah one bit. Her role in this plan wasn’t any better. What was this squad Theocracy was moving? No intel? What was Tahlrah’s brother, the First Hunter thinking? Neither of his decisions made sense. Unless he was planning to get rid of Tahlrah. Why?

There was nothing right about the plan itself. The best possible solution would be to retain the current strategy and rethink their priorities. There was no way they could afford a continuous open battle against humans. Even if they won, casualties would be extreme.

He looked at Tahlrah. She seemed emotionless, but he could imagine her sharing the same thoughts. Was there no way to avert such recklessness?

“This is insane…” one of his rangers blurted.

No one else commented. They all knew that. But they also knew another thing.

“King’s order is absolute.” Zarren couldn’t believe he was saying that now. But what else could he say? “Kiiral, Imra, you are going to stay. Others – make sure your men are well rested and prepared to travel. We’re leaving before noon.”

“But Zarren-sama…” Imra, the youngest of his rangers, tried to speak up, but the High Ranger silenced her with a single gaze.

“You got your orders.”

The female elf dropped her shoulders.

“Yes. I obey.”

Other rangers bowed with her.

“Time is sparse, so don’t waste it. Go.” Zarren sighed and leaned on his hands against the tabletop.

“Yes, High Ranger!” was the collective response.

Imra was the only one who hesitated to leave. She looked at Zarren in shock and concern. He stared back coldly. Finally, the young elf bowed again and left, biting her lips. Zarren glanced at Tahlrah.

“Leave us, Faelyn. Rest,” the woman placed her hand on her subordinate’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

“Thank you, my lady,” the old elf responded tiredly. He looked at Zarren on his way out, smiled bitterly, and nodded.

Zarren sighed heavily and closed his eyes as the doors to the war room closed behind Tahlrah’s teacher, friend, and right hand.

“This is madness…” he whispered. Tahlrah did not respond, but slowly walked to him around the table, “Is this really going to happen? What are the chances? We can’t just magically win. What kind of order is this? What even…’

Tahlrah’s fingers ran through his hair. She pulled him in until their foreheads touched. He couldn’t avert his eye from the tears running across her cheeks.

“I’m happy you’re alive… You’re an idiot. A brave idiot,” her lips formed a bitter smile, “I beg of you, stop asking questions. It’s all bad. Zarren… are we going to meet again?”

“I…” he hesitated, though he knew the most likely answer, “I don’t know.”

“It’s not the best moment…” Tahlrah wouldn’t stop looking directly in his eyes, “Might it be the last? I need you. I need you right now. Please. Before you leave. I’ll tell you everything, but it won’t make things better. I want to forget about it all, even if it’s going to be just for a heartbeat.” The woman was stroking his hair and leaning her body against his, “I need to see at least one more blissful dream before this nightmare drives me insane…”

***

His eyes ran through the notes once again. He added several lines where he saw it fitted. Theorizing was calming by itself. He knew too little so questioning the reality of what was happening seemed counterproductive at the moment.

After thinking things through, he could now filter points of interest that could affect his further decisions.

He leaned back in his luxurious chair and clasped his fingers. Thinking back to what he saw and interactions with NPCs, he picked up a few details he initially missed.

The decision to test their combat ability was right. He instructed Aurora on how to do that without diminishing their guild base defensive capability too much. So far, his actions seemed somewhat reasonable. But he needed to understand who he was working with. Blind reliance on loyalty, which he assumed was embedded in NPCs' minds, could lead to an unpredictable outcome.

They were not all the same. That meant they could and probably had needs and preferences he did not yet know about. Understanding other’s motivation was crucial for a team. Neglection and dissatisfaction would ruin any relations.

_I need to revisit all the backstories, stats, and abilities._

In YGGDRASIL, they were a small group. Some guilds had the maximum allowed a hundred players, but only a few survived. Oni-Daasu would be demolished if such guild decided to attack them out of their guild base. Even with all the defense capabilities and layout of Silverwing Refuge, it was very likely to happen.

Yet Eizo chose a policy that shielded his small group from such a miserable end. Even before they acquired this player base, he befriended some of the guild masters who became reliable allies later. Because of their help, Eizo was able to secure Oni-Daasu’s ownership over this well-hidden and hard to access base. It came at a price, but they managed to pay their debt.

Silverwing Refuge was attacked twice, but both attacks failed miserably. Eizo was warned beforehand by the allies and could negotiate to borrow their players to defend Oni-Daasu’s home.

Guilds like Völundr’s Sledgehammer were massive and influential. And Eizo had five such guilds as reliable partners and three mid-tier guilds. With those connections, Oni-Daasu had to follow certain policies to keep such a beneficial position in the game’s politics.

In the current reality, all of that was non-existent. He couldn’t contact any of his former allies. The only familiar face he had around now was Aurora. And the entirety of the protective force at his disposal consisted of twenty level one hundred characters, him and Aurora included.

Two of the max level NPCs were dedicated to crafting and gathering. Sophia and Leonard had crafting builds as well, but they possessed classes that turned them into unique battlefield specialists. They weren’t great on their own, but with proper support could perform really well.

_But of all the players, just two of us are here. Does this imply that the condition for this transition was to be online in YGGDRASIL? But Gollark did not get transported. Though if he stayed online till the shutdown, he must have stayed in Nidavellir while we were in Alvheim. Might he be too far away for the [Message] spell to work properly? Everything works slightly differently in this world. Anyway, it might not be so bad if only the online players were transported. But the NPCs…_

All the player bases had NPCs. Some guilds did not optimize their creations like Oni-Daasu did. For the most part, anything below level one hundred was nothing against high-end players with optimized gear. It was also true that many players did not possess items above relic or legendary quality. Only hardcore guilds made sure to equip their members with divine-class gear.

Oni-Daasu had plenty due to their trades and small roster. Alongside the information about quests, dungeons, objectives, items, and locations, Oni-Daasu also was trading character build information. As Eizo and a couple of his friends played since day one, they were also among the first to discover many interesting properties of job class progression and their dependencies.

GreenTeaParty was their leading theory crafter regarding builds. He developed his own raw efficiency calculator that scored the build’s stats, healing and damage capabilities, and other statistics. They sold it to other theory crafters at some point for a big chunk of divine class gear.

There were many activities in YGGDRASIL, and most of them required or benefitted massively from a balanced raid group. That’s why experimenting with builds was quite a gamble for guilds that focused on competitive PvE or world PvP.

And Oni-Daasu offered a solution. They were experimenting with builds anyway after discovering that job class, and race progression could lead to the acquisition of exotic and highly rare items that could be easily missed without necessary attention.

So that became another source of income for the guild. They had five members playing a solidified and reliable builds to boost others and see what they could get from different races and classes. When several guilds had established alliances with Oni-Daasu, Eizo carefully traded the builds they tested and sometimes even received requests for specific build development.

This was beneficial to everyone involved. The hardcore raiding guilds hadn’t wasted precious time, and Oni-Daasu received extra profit for carrying out their experiments.

Frequent swaps of character builds resulted in the accumulation of unsuitable divine-class gear. Most of it was traded. A part of the gear they kept was given to the NPCs.

Aurora’s creation, Solomon Drake, was an excellent example of that. He had CyanIDESmile’s most potent vampire fighter build and inherited the gear Eizo’s friend optimized for it.

But all of that was not the case for other guilds. They could create anything without any care for synergy or optimization. Moreover, most of them couldn’t afford divine-class gear for themselves, not to mention the NPCs.

Therefore, if another guild was transported in this new world with only a couple of players, Eizo and Aurora most likely had the upper hand. But it could be true only regarding the gear and raw stats of level one hundred NPCs. The swarming tactic was valid in all circumstances.

Besides, Eizo had no clue about NPCs combat skills. His summons would be an incorrect reference point as they seemed to possess his experience and muscle memory even though they adapted it to the kitsune body. He tasked Aurora with observing spell effectiveness and possible deviations. Also told her to pay attention to NPCs’ personalities. She could also vaguely validate their combat efficiency, but in the end, he had to test them personally.

_A new wave of students, possibly? And how should I carry this out?_

The next stop was the functionality of their guild base. Eizo and his guild made a lot of effort making the Silverwing Refuge self-sufficient. Farm crunch was real. Eizo knew several high-level guilds that disbanded because they grew too big too soon. That was another reason Oni-Daasu were so picky about accepting new members.

They also cut many corners with guild base space, NPC, and defensive mechanisms saturation, keeping the upkeep costs reasonably low. It would be great if all the measures they took to relive themselves from farming burden were intact after the transition.

But again, those measures were reasonable while Oni-Daasu had friendly guilds backing them up. Now?

_Should I focus on searching for new allies? I have no clue about the surrounding world. If we got transported to a location similar to the far corners of Niflheim, we’re completely screwed. Shit…_

Thinking of that possibility made him uneasy. All the solutions he could think of were quite complex and had many variables.

Besides all of that, he had Aurora to look after. But he couldn’t just keep her close at all times. At least he possessed means to deal with that at the moment. Yet he was concerned with her state. He already noticed some strangeness about his new body but was able to neglect it. His emotions were quite numb anyway. She, on the other hand, was in the body of a lust demon. Will it affect her? How?

_The sound she made during the meeting… Was that reaction towards Levisto? He’s a demon too… I need to keep a close eye on that._

Eizo suddenly realized how deep he dived into his thought process. How much time has gone by? He had no idea. He forcefully clenched a fist.

_Damn it… Old habits die hard. Oh, bloody…!_

At that moment, he heard the knock on the door. He grabbed his notebook and placed it into his inventory. Then ran a hand over his face and froze for a moment.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a charming being float inside his chambers. The door behind her seemed to close on its own.

“I apologize for the disturbance, Grand Master,” Sophia bowed with spectacular elegance. Eizo knew for a fact that it required a lot of practice to move that smooth and precise. Though he himself never had the need to practice western etiquette.

_That’s a shortcoming I’d rather fix if I have the opportunity…_

“It’s alright. What do you have for me?”

“Yes. We’ve completed your request. Minerva-sama and I successfully fortified Crypts’ defenses. Solomon-sama and his minions are now guarding the area. Minerva-sama returned to watch over the mansion,” the woman smiled all the way through her report, “And I’m back at your side as your personal guard.”

_I was out for an hour or so? Probably. I’ve got to be careful about it. I’m not there anymore. But that means that we’ve still got some time before sunrise._

“Good.” Eizo leaned back in his chair and examined her form, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Huh?” confusion took over her face, “I don’t think so… But I would gladly answer any of your questions.”

“I see…” he studied her face closely, figuring out his next step, “Good.”

Eizo left the chair, walked around the table, and closed the distance between them. He stopped right in front of the woman and looked into her mesmerizing eyes.

_The more I see, the more real it seems. But I can’t cross out any possibilities yet. I learned a lot during the experiments, but it might be something new entirely. Self-generated reality through AI deep learning? That was what YGGDRASIL’s developers dreamed of. Yet, they were forced to work with pre-defined patterns in the end. Could it be that in twelve years, they finally developed the means to achieve it? Wish I learned more about the technology itself while I had the chance… Too late now._

“Hmm… Alright. Come, have a seat.” he pointed the armchair before the fireplace.

“Yes, master,” Sophia bowed her head and followed him.

Eizo took the left seat and watched as the beautiful woman gently landed upon the other.

_She is incredibly graceful. Inhumanly even. Well, didn’t I create her that way? This is so bizarre. What could have possibly transformed a cluster of information into a living being? With all my experience, virtual world can’t achieve this level of realism. Yet…_

“Tell me, Sophia…”

“Yes, master?” her voice was so smooth and gentle; he almost felt it touching the skin of his face.

“Do you remember anything prior to this day?”

“I do,” her face brightened with a warm smile. Though she remained mature and very feminine, “I remember our travels and battles, Inari-dono. Sometimes other Supreme Beings were there too. But only when you called upon me. My memory… is a bit hazy. It feels so good to be sitting next to you now. To talk to you.”

_She retained residual memory from YGGDRASIL?_

Eizo wasn’t expecting that answer though he didn’t rule out the possibility. He felt like it was for the better. At least there seemed to be something to explore.

_But how is this possible? Wait… Can it be? No, NPCs couldn’t be sentient. They had an AI controlling them. And the AI was heavily limited to player scripting to avoid unexpected behavior. But… does this mean that forming memories doesn’t require sentience?_

Meanwhile, Sophia continued.

“I remember several times you protected Leonard and me in the fights. Now that I think of it… it makes me truly happy.”

“And what about the time before we met?” Eizo carefully watched her face for the reaction.

“Before? Well, it was so long ago… Let me see…” Sophia went silent for a minute, musing on the subject, “I was involved in the conflict between the sultans. Lots of treachery and bloodshed. I got tired of their pointless struggles for power, but I couldn’t get out of it that easy as I was one of them. When you came around, the first time we met as enemies. You were searching for an artifact…”

Eizo nodded, he started remembering her backstory. Lumia crated a very detailed story Sophia now described to him in short.

“But I discovered that you could be my key to freedom from that mess. And after a series of events, I gave up part of my powers and was presumed dead. Then you brought me to your friends. The great Oni-Daasu. You helped me recover and grow even stronger than I was before. That’s what I remember.”

She was looking at the flames as she spoke. Eizo was quite mesmerized by the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes.

A couple of minutes passed in silence, disturbed only by the calming crackling sound of the fireplace.

“You call us the Supreme Beings. The creators. Could you explain why?”

“Yes. I know that you created us and the place we live in. You are the leader of the fourteen Supreme Beings that are responsible for this whole place’s existence. Including us - the servants, the guards. I know there are other creators. You summoned me once when you held out a meeting with them.”

Eizo frowned.

“How do you feel about them?”

“I don’t know,” Sophia glanced at him with a slightly puzzled look, “I don’t think I feel anything towards them. They are not our creators.”

“I see…” Eizo mused. He felt silent, not really looking at Sophia anymore, but through her.

_A being that is aware of the fact of its own creation. Can it be the proof I’m seeking? Could I extrapolate that phenomenon to other NPCs, or Sophia is special? At least she doesn’t appear to be… If every NPC kept their memories and she remembers me carrying her around, what can the NPC locked to the guild base possibly recall? Hold on a second…_

He revisited the whole conversation in his mind and flinched.

“Sophia-sama. You said your memory about our travels is hazy. Can you remember me speaking of anything when no other Supreme Being was around?”

“Yes,” her face became a bit gloomy, “Some of it. I did not understand a lot of it. But I understood that you cared about someone... I… I’m not sure. I don’t want to misinterpret your words, Inari-dono,” she looked at him with a confused expression on her face.

“Don’t worry. Do you remember any name I mentioned?”

“I… I think so. Hmm… ones mentioned more than others were Tomoe and… Ichino? Though I don’t know who they are… I’m sorry, Inari-dono…”

Eizo slowly sank into the armchair, looking at the fire, and clasped his fingers.

“Good…”

_Interesting… really interesting…_

“I’m sorry if I displeased you, Grand Master…”

“You did not,” he didn’t even turn his head, “You’ve done well, Sophia-sama. Thank you.”

“If you say so… Inari-dono…”

_This can’t be a coincidence… She really has those memories. So this isn’t a simulation. They had to keep observing me in YGGDRASIL to embed that detail in her. Which is still a possibility, but Rizu made everything to keep my connection secure. Was I looking in the wrong direction the whole time? Hmm…_

“Forgive me, Sophia-sama, for I made you feel uneasy,” he slightly nodded to the djin.

“No! Please, you don’t have to say such things, Inari-dono! I’m not worthy…” Sophia’s face contorted almost as if she felt physical pain.

“You really think so?” Eizo wondered with genuine interest and got up.

“Well, of course… I’m your creation that exists to fulfill your will,” her voice was confident, but the beautiful eyes of the djinn were filled with confusion and perplexity.

“Then you can understand that it is my will,” he smiled, watching her processing his statement, “To be respectful. A wise man said that a little sympathy goes a long way. My experience shows that it is true.”

“I… I…” Sophia startled, “I… What… should I do… Grand Master?”

“The correct question is: if you have to do anything at all, Sophia-sama.” his face remained unchanged.

“I…” the djinn lowered her gaze and went silent. Eizo waited patiently, looking at her beautiful face. Finally, she lifted her head and smiled, “I understood. You don’t need to worry about me, Inari-dono. But I’m thankful that you do.”

“Good,” he nodded, “I’m glad we had that conversation. You told me things I really needed to know.” Eizo turned to the fireplace and crossed his arms, “Very interesting indeed… [Message]”

“Pardon me, Luna-sama.”

“How may I be of service, Inari-dono?”

“What’s with the sunlight? Any sign of it?”

“Yes, the sky is a little bit brighter, but it’s still dark.”

“Good. I’ll be at the headquarters pretty soon.”

“Understood.”

Eizo ended the spell. His eyes fixated on the dancing flames: no particular thoughts, just calmness. The guessing game was pretty tiring. They were just several hours in this new reality. Yet, he managed to accumulate a respectable amount of information. His scouting and Aurora’s observations should give him enough puzzle pieces to decide their further route.

_How much can I go on with this? Will I reach a breaking point? Or am I already passed it?_

He slightly shrugged his shoulders to this thought and turned to the djinn.

“We have some time. So I’d like to travel to the headquarters without teleportation. I’d like to see what the result of your and everyone’s work.”

“Yes. I would gladly accompany you, Grand Master,” she stood up and bowed her head.

“I’d like you to meet me at the entrance to the Sanctum,” Eizo smiled.

“Huh? Why?” Sophia was confused for a moment, then a spark of realization appeared in her eyes.

“Forgive me, I did not tell you.”

“I understand,” she nodded with respect.

“[Astral Gate]” the portal appeared by the fireplace, “It shouldn’t take too long. I guess.”

“I will wait for you as long as it takes,” the djinn gave him a warm, genuine smile.

“Thank you,” Eizo nodded. Sophia bowed and walked through the passage. After a few seconds, he closed the gates, “[True Form]”

His gigantic paws made no sound as he walked to the window and gazed over the Haunting Grounds.

“Let’s see…”

Eizo replaced three of his ten rings. Scouting could be dangerous in this unknown world, so testing his abilities to traverse the environment was vital.

_If everything works properly, I should get through without an issue. If I remember correctly, the only ones that should have a chance to spot me are Solomon and Einarr. Depending on how I rotate invisibility. It will be challenging if Sophia and Minerva were creative with the traps. How long will it take for me to get to the gates? Let’s see…_

He opened the door to the balcony and breathed in the air. He tensed his muscles as he stepped outside and relaxed on the exhale. Eizo actually forgot how good those simple things could feel. Refreshing. Relieving. Exhilarating.

_Can I afford to have a little bit of fun with it?_

He chuckled.

_Keep your calm, guild master. You’ve got things to do._

“[Ethereal cloak]”

Eizo’s body turned into a black-grey smoke and dissipated almost instantly. The door seemed to close on its own. The Grand Master’s chambers became empty.


End file.
